NRLF 


GIFT  OF 


THE  MAHAVAMSA 

OR 

THE  GREAT  CHRONICLE 
OF  CEYLON 


i  3Te.tt 


THE  MAHAVAMSA 

• 

OR 

THE  GREAT  CHRONICLE 
OF  CEYLON 

TRANSLATED  INTO  ENGLISH 

BY 


WILHELM  GEIGER,  PH:D., 

PROFESSOR   OF   INDOGERMANIC    PHILOLOGY 
AT   ERLANGEN    UNIVERSITY 

ASSISTED  BY  MABEL  HAYNES  BODE,  Pn.D. 

LECTURER    ON    PALI    AT 
UNIVERSITY   COLLEGE,    LONDON 


UNDER  THE  PATRONAGE  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  CEYLON 


OLonfcon 

PUBLISHED  FOR  THE  PALI  TEXT  SOCIETY 

BY 

HENRY   FROWDE 

OXFORD  UNIVERSITY  PRESS,  AMEN  CORNER,  E.C. 

1912 


M3 


.  .  .  ..  :  OXFORD 

*    I  I'*:  '..'PRINTED   BY   HORACE   HART 
•  •     A*  THE   UNIVERSITY   PRESS 


EDITOR'S   PREFACE 

A  PEW  words  are  necessary  to  explain  how  the  present  work 
came  to  be  written  ;  and  one  or  two  points  should  be  men- 
tioned regarding-  the  aims  it  is  hoped  to  achieve.  Early  in 
1908  the  Government  of  Ceylon  were  contemplating  a  new 
and  revised  edition  of  Tumour's  translation  of  the  Maha- 
vamsa,  published  in  1837  and  reprinted  in  L.  C.  Wijesinha's 
Mahavamsa  published  in  1889,  and  were  in  correspondence  on 
the  subject  with  the  Ceylon  Branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic 
Society.  The  Society  appointed  a  numerous  and  influential 
Committee,  and  recommended  myself  as  Editor  for  Europe.1 
By  their  letter  of  July  18,  1908,  the  Government  of 
Ceylon  requested  me  to  undertake  that  post.  I  took  the 
opportunity  at  the  Congress  of  Orientalists  held  at  Copenhagen 
in  August,  and  again  at  the  Congress  on  the  History 
of  Religions  held  in  September  at  Oxford,  to  consult  my 
colleagues  on  the  best  plan  for  carrying  out  the  proposed 
revision.  They  agreed  that  the  method  most  likely  to 
lead  to  a  satisfactory  result  within  a  reasonable  time  was 
to  entrust  the  work  to  one  competent  critical  scholar  who 
could,  if  necessary,  consult  members  of  the  Ceylon  Committee, 
but  who  should  be  himself  responsible  for  all  the  details  of  the 
work.  I  reported  to  Government  accordingly,  and  recom- 
mended that  Prof.  Geiger,  who  had  just  completed  his  edition 
of  the  text,  should  be  asked  to  undertake  the  task.  The 
Government  approved  the  plan,  and  asked  me  to  make  the 
necessary  arrangements.  Those  arrangements  have  resulted 
in  the  publication  of  the  present  volume. 

Professor  Geiger  has  made  a  translation  into  German  of  his 
own  revised  critical  edition  published  by  the  Pali  Text  Society 

1  See  the  Journal  of  the  Ceylon  Branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society, 
vol.  xxi,  no.  61,  pp.  40-42,  70,  86. 

4631^,; 


vi  Editors  Preface 

in  1908  ;  and  added  the  necessary  introduction,  appendices, 
and  notes.  Mrs.  Bode  has  translated  the  German  into 
English  ;  and  Professor  Geiger  has  then  revised  the  English 
translation. 

The  plan  has  been  to  produce  a  literal  translation,  as  nearly 
as  possible  an  absolutely  correct  reproduction  of  the  statements 
recorded  in  the  Chronicle.  It  is  true  there  is  considerable 
literary  merit  in  the  original  poem,  and  that  it  may  be  possible 
"hereafter  to  attempt  a  reproduction  also,  in  English  unrhymed 
verse,  of  the  literary  spirit  of  the  poem.  But  a  literal  ver- 
sion would  still  be  indispensable  for  historical  purposes.  For 
similar  reasons  it  has  been  decided  to  retain  in  the  translation 
certain  technical  terms  used  in  the  Buddhist  Order.  In  a 
translation  aiming  at  literary  merit  some  English  word  more 
or  less  analogous  in  meaning  might  be  used,  regardless  of  the 
fact  that  such  a  word  would  involve  implications  not  found  in 
the  original.  Thus  bhikkhu  has  often  been  rendered  '  priest ' 
or  '  monk*.  But  a  bhikkhu  claims  no  such  priestly  powers  as 
are  implied  by  the  former  term,  and  would  yield  no  such 
obedience  as  is  implied  in  the  other ;  and  to  discuss  all  the 
similarities  and  differences  between  these  three  ideas  would 
require  a  small  treatise.  There  are  other  technical  terms  of 
the  same  kind.  It  is  sufficient  here  to  explain  that  when 
such  terms  are  left,  in  the  present  translation,  untranslated, 
it  is  because  an  accurate  translation  is  not  considered  possible. 
Most  of  them  are,  like  bhikkhit,  already  intelligible  to  those 
who  are  likely  to  use  this  version.  But  they  are  shortly 
explained  in  foot-notes ;  and  a  list  of  them,  with  further 
interpretation,  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 

The  Ceylon  Government  has  defrayed  the  expense  of  this, 
as  it  did  of  the  previously  published  translations  of  the  Maha- 
vamsa. 

T.  W.  RHYS  DAVIDS. 


TABLE  OF   CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

INTRODUCTION ix 

Abbreviations Ixiv 

I.  The  Visit  of  the  Tathagata  ....  1 
II.  The  Race  of  Mahasammata           .         .         .10 

III.  The  First  Council 14 

IV.  The  Second  Council 19 

V.  The  Third  Council 26 

VI.  The  Coming  of  Vijaya          .         .         .         .51 

VII.  The  Consecrating-  of  Vijaya          .         .         .55 

VIII.  The  Consecrating  of  Panduvasudeva    .         .       62 

IX.  The  Consecrating  of  Abhaya        ...       65 

X.  The  Consecrating  of  Pandukabhaya      .         .       68 

XI.  The  Consecrating  of  Devanampiyatissa          .       77 

XII.  The  Converting  of  Different  Countries          .       82 

XIII.  The  Coming  of  Mahinda      ....       88 

XIV.  The  Entry  into  the  Capital  ....       91 
XV.  The  Acceptance  of  the  Mahavihara      .         .       97 

XVI.  The  Acceptance  of  the  Cetiyapabbata-vihara.     114 

XVII.  The  Arrival  of  the  Relics     .         .         .         .116 

XVIII.  The  Receiving  of  the  Great  Bodhi-tree         .     122 

XIX.  The  Coming  of  the  Bodhi-tree      .         .         .128 

XX.  The  Nibbana  of  the  Thera   ....     136 

XXI.  The  Five  Kings    ....  .142 

XXII.  The  Birth  of  Prince  Gamani         .         .         .146 

XXIII.  The  Levying  of  the  Warriors        .         .         .155 

XXIV.  The  War  of  the  Two  Brothers      .         .         .164 
XXV.  The  Victory  of  Dutthagamani      .         .         .170 

XXVI.  The  Consecrating  of  the  Maricavatti-vihara  .     179 
XXVII.  The  Consecrating  of  the  Lohapasada     .         .     182 


viii  Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

XXVIII.  The  Obtaining  of  the  Wherewithal  to  build 

the  Great  Thupa 187 

XXIX.  The  Beginning  of  the  Great  Thupa     .         .  191 

XXX.  The  Making  of  the  Relic-Chamber     .         .  198 

XXXI.  The  Enshrining  of  the  Relics      .         .         .209 

XXXII.  The  Entrance  into  the  Tusita-Heaven          .  220 

XXXIII.  The  Ten  Kings 228 

XXXIV.  The  Eleven  Kings 238 

XXXV.  The  Twelve  Kings 246 

XXXVI.  The  Thirteen  Kings 256 

XXXVII.  King  Mahasena 267 

APPENDICES 

A.  The  Dynasty  of  Mahasaramata       .         .         .         .273 

B.  The  Buddhist  Sects 276 

C.  Campaigns  of  Pandukabhaya  and  Dutthagamani     .     288 

D.  List  of  Pali  Terms  occurring  in  the  Translation       .     292 

INDEXES 

A.  List  of  Geographical  and  Topographical  Names        .     298 

B.  List  of  Terms  explained  in  the  Notes       .         .         .     299 

ADDENDA 300 

MAPS 

Ancient  Ceylon      .....         To  face  page      1 
Anuradhapura „  137 


INTRODUCTION 

§  1.   Literary  questions  concerning  Dipavamsa  and 
Mahavamsa. 

THE  LITERARY  QUESTIONS  connected  with  the  Mahavamsa 
and  the  development  of  the  historical  tradition  in  Ceylon 
have  been  thoroughly  discussed  in  my  book  Dipavamsa  and 
Mahdvamsa.1  I  believe  that  I  have  there  demonstrated 
that  the  two  Ceylonese  Chronicles  are  based  upon  older 
materials  and  for  this  reason  should  claim  our  attention  as 
sources  of  history. 

Now,  however,  R.  O.  FRANKE  has  taken  a  decided  stand 
against  my  inferences.2  He  disputes  the  existence  of  an 
older  historical  work  as  foundation  of  Dip.  and  Mah. 

The  former  appears  to  him  to  be  only  a  botched  compilation 
of  Pali  quotations  from  the  Jatakas  and  other  canonical 
works.  But  the  author  of  the  Mah.  has  merely  copied  the 
Dip.  and  the  same  applies  to  Buddhaghosa  and  his  historical 
introduction  to  the  Samanta-Pasadika.  I  have  however, 
I  hope,  succeeded  in  combating  the  doubts  and  objections 
raised  by  FRANKE. 3 

The  defects  of  the  Dip.,  which  naturally  neither  can  nor 
should  be  disputed,  concern  the  outer  form,  not  the  contents. 

1  Dip.  und  Mah.   und   die  geschichtliche    Vberlieferung    in  Ceylon, 
Leipzig,  1905.    Translated  into  English  by  E.  M.  COOMARASWAMY, 
Dip.  and  Mah.,  Colombo,  1908.     Quotations  in  the  following  pages 
follow  the  English  edition.   I  may  also  refer  here  expressly  to  OLDEN- 
BERG'S  remarks,  Dtp.,  ed.  Introd.,  p.  1  foil.  (1879),  as  the  starting- 
point  for  my  own. 

2  Dip.  und  Mah.  in  the  Wiener  Zeitschr.  f.  d.  Kunde  des  Morgenl. 
21,  pp.  203  foil. ;  317  foil. 

3  Noch  einmal  Dip.  und  Mah.  ;  Zeitschr.  d.  D.  morgenl.  Gesettsch.  63, 
p.  540  foil.   I  note  that  OLDENBERG  in  the  Archivf.  Religionswissensch. 
13.  p.  614,  agrees  with  my  inferences  against  FRANKE. 


*  Introduction 

But  that  the  author  of  the  Dip.  simply  invented  the  contents 
of  his  chronicle  is  a  thing  impossible  to  believe. 

Thus  it  is  our  task  to  trace  the  sources  from  which  he 
drew  his  material.  This  is  made  possible  for  us  by  the  Maha- 
vamsa-Tika,  i.  e.  the  native  commentary  on  our  chronicle 
which,  under  the  title  Vamsatthappakasini,  was  composed  by 
an  unknown  author. 

I  will  then  here  briefly  sum  up  the  principal  results  of  my 
labours,  referring,  for  confirmation  in  detail,  to  my  earlier 
works. 

1.  In   Ceylon  there   existed    at   the   close   of  the  fourth 
century  A.D.,  that  is,  at  the  time  in  which  the  Dipavamsa 
was  composed,  an  older  work,  a   sort   of   chronicle,  of  the 
history  of  the  island  from  its  legendary  beginnings  onwards. 
The  work  constituted  part  of  the  Atthakatha,  i.  e.  the  old 
commentary-literature    on    the    canonical    writings    of    the 
Buddhists  which  Buddhaghosa  took  as  a  basis  for  his  illu- 
minating works.     It  was,  like  the  Atthakatha,  composed  in 
Old-Sinhalese  prose,  probably  mingled  with  verse  in  the  Pali 
language. 

2.  This  Atthakathd-Mahdvamsa  existed,  as  did  the  Attha- 
katha  generally,   in  different  monasteries  of  the  island,  in 
various  recensions  which   diverged   only   slightly  from   one 
another.     Of  particular  importance  for  the  further  develop- 
ment of  the  tradition  was  the  recension  of  the  monks  of  the 
Mahavihara   in   Anuradhapura,    upon   which  the  author  of 
the  Mah.  Tika  drew  for  his  material. 

3.  The  chronicle   must  originally  have   come   down  only 
to  the  arrival  of  Mahinda  in  Ceylon.     But  it  was  continued 
later  and  indeed,  to  all  appearance,  down  to  the   reign  of 
Mahasena  (beginning  of  the  fourth  century  A.  D.),  with  which 
reign  the  Dipavamsa  as  well  as  the  Mahavamsa  comes  to  an  end. 

4.  Of  this  work  the  DIPAVAMSA  presents  the  first  clumsy 
redaction  in  Pali  verses.1     The  MAHAVAMSA  is  then  a  new 
treatment  of   the  same  thing,  distinguished  from  the  Dip. 

1  So  far  as  language  is  concerned,  the  author's  sources  have  been 
indicated,  for  numerous  verses,  by  FRANKE  ;  and  herein  lies  the 
merit  of  his  work,  although  I  cannot  consent  to  his  conclusions. 


Introduction  *i 

by  greater  skill  in  the  employment  of  the  Pali  language,  by 
more  artistic  composition  and  by  a  more  liberal  use  of  the 
material  contained  in  the  original  work.  While  the  author- 
ship of  the  Dip.  is  not  known  the  author  of  the  Mahavamsa  is 
known  as  Mahanama.1 

5.  It  is  also  on  the   Dip.  that  BUDDHAGHOSA  bases   his 
historical    introduction   to    the    Samantapasadika ; 2    but   he 
completes  and  adds  to  its  information  with  statements  which 
could  only  have  been  drawn  directly  from  the  Atthakatha. 

6.  The  MAHAVAMSA-TiKA   brings  to  the  contents  of  the 
Dip.  and   Mah.   further  additions,  taken   from  the  original 
work.     It  was  certainly  not  composed  till  between  1000  and 
1250  A.  D.     But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Atthakatha- 
Mahavamsa  lay  before  the  author,  as  he  also  supposes  it  to  be 
known  to  his  readers  and  accessible  to  all.3     For  this  reason 
his  statements   as  to   the  original  work,    its   form   and   its 
contents,  naturally  acquire  particular  importance. 

These  conclusions  are  not  in  any  way  altered  if  I  am  now 
inclined  to  consider  the  relation  between  Mah.  and  Dip.  as 
a  closer  one  than  in  my  first  work.  That  the  author  of 
the  former  knew  the  latter  and  used  it  I  have  naturally  never 
disputed.  But  I  should  now  wish,  in  agreement  with  FLEET, 
to  go  much  further  and  regard  the  Mah.  as  a  conscious  and 
intentional  rearrangement  of  the  Dip.,  as  a  sort  of  com- 
mentary  to  this  latter.  I  also  think  now  that  the  quotation 
of  the  '  Mahavamsa  of  the  ancients '  in  the  prooemium  of 
our  Mah.  refers  precisely  to  the  Dip.  I  have  besides  already 
indicated  the  possibility  of  this  view  in  my  Dip.  and  Mah., 
p.  17.  FLEET  4  then  translates  the  well-known  passage  of  the 
later  Culavamsa  (38.  59)  datva  sahassam  dlpetum  Dipa- 
vamsamsamadisi  in  very  illuminating  fashion:  fhe  (king 
Dhatusena)  bestowed  a  thousand  (pieces  of  gold)  and  gave 
orders  to  write  a  dipika  on  the  Dipavamsa/ 

1  See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc.  1905,  p.  391. 

a  Edited  by  H.  OLDENBERG,  The  Vinaya  Pitakam,  iii,  p.  283  foil. 

3  I  have  indicated  in  Z.D.M.G.  63,  p.  549  foil.,  passages   in   the 
Mah.  T.  which  undoubtedly  bear  this  out. 

4  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p.  5,  n.  1. 


xii  Introduction 

The  interpretation  hitherto  given :  that  this  is  an  allusion 
to  a  public  recitation  of  the  Dip.  must  then  be  abandoned. 
But  this  dipika,  which  was  composed  by  order  of  Dhatusena, 
is  identified  by  FLEET  with  our  Mahavamsa.  Thus,  at  the 
same  time,  the  date  of  its  origin  is  more  precisely  fixed. 
Dhatusena  reigned,  according  to  calculations  which  are  to  be 
confirmed  further  on,  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century 
after  Christ.  About  this  time  the  Mahavamsa  was  composed. 

§  2.    The  Trustworthiness  of  the  Ceylon  Chronicles. 

After  these  preliminary  observations  the  Ceylonese  Chronicles 
should  now  be  judged  particularly  with  respect  to  their  value 
as  HISTORICAL  SOURCES,  and  the  historical  data  drawn  from 
them  should  be  brought  together. 

In  their  character  of  historical  sources  the  Dip.  and  Mah. 
have  been  very  differently  appreciated. 

FRANKE  goes  the  furthest  in  scepticism.  If  he  did  in  the 
beginning  at  least  admit  the  POSSIBILITY  1  that  the  author  of 
the  Dip.  had  some  document  or  other  before  him,  he  has  lately 
said  most  positively  :  *  in  the  absence  of  any  sources,  the  last- 
named  work  (i.  e.  the  Dipavamsa)  must  be  considered  as 
standing  unsupported  on  its  own  tottering  feet/  2  And  there- 
fore according  to  him  no  historical  value  can  be  conceded  to 
the  Dip.  nor  to  the  Mah.  nor  finally  to  the  Smp.  FRANKE'S 
scepticism,  to  which  I  shall  return  in  discussing  the  history  of 
the  councils,  ceases  to  be  well  founded  as  soon  as  we  accept 
the  thesis  that  the  Ceylonese  Chronicles  are  based  on  the 
Atthakatha.  With  this  the  tradition  recedes  several  centuries, 
and  the  probability  that  it  contains  historical  recollections  is 
correspondingly  reinforced,  and  that  thesis  must,  as  I  have 
explained  above,  be  considered  as  confirmed. 

KERNS  too  expresses  himself  with  great  caution  on  the 
historical  value  of  Dip.  and  Mah.  He  indeed  says  in 
his  Manual  of  Indian  Buddhism,  p.  9,  ' ...  the  chronicles 

1  Literarisches  Centralblatt,  1906,  No.  37,  column  1275,  1.  2. 

2  Journal  of  the  Pali  Text  Soc.  1908,  p.  1. 

8  Buddhismus,  German  translation  by  Jacobi,  ii,  p.  283. 


Introduction  xiii 

Dipavamsa,  Mahavamsa,  and  Sasanavamsa  deserve  a  special 
notice  on  account  of  their  being  so  highly  important  for  the 
ecclesiastical  history  of  Ceylon.'  But  here,  however,  it  is  only 
admitted  that  the  chronicles  can  be  utilized  as  of  value  for  the 
period  from  Devanampiyatissa  onwards  or  perhaps  only  for  a 
yet  later  time.  For  the  most  ancient  times,  when  the  history 
of  continental  India  is  also  to  be  taken  into  consideration, 
KERN  is  hardly  inclined  to  accept  them  as  authentic  sources. 

A  very  trenchant  verdict  is  pronounced  by  V.  A.  SMITH  in 
his  Asoka  on  the  Ceylonese  Chronicles.  He  says  in  the  plainest 
fashion :  '  in  this  work  (i.  e.  in  the  Asoka)  the  Ceylonese 
chronology  prior  to  B.C.  160  is  absolutely  and  completely 
rejected,  as  being  not  merely  of  doubtful  authority  but 
positively  false  in  its  principal  propositions/ l 

Perhaps  V.  A.  SMITH  has  since  modified  his  judgement. 
For  he  says  now: 2  f  These  Sinhalese  stories  the  value  of  which 
has  been  sometimes  overestimated,  demand  cautious  criticism 
at  least  as  much  as  do  other  records  of  popular  and  eccle- 
siastical tradition.'  This  sounds  less  cutting.  The  warning 
to  handle  critically,  which  the  excellent  historian  considers 
necessary  with  regard  to  the  Ceylonese  Chronicles,  is  certainly 
justified.  It  applies  to  all  historical  documents,  and  I  have 
no  intention  at  all  of  disputing  the  justice  of  it. 

The  judgement  pronounced  by  RHYS  DAVIDS  3  on  Dip.  and 
Mah.  sounds  much  more  favourable.  He  says :  '  The  Ceylon 
Chronicles  would  not  suffer  in  comparison  with  the  best  of  the 
Chronicles,  even  though  so  considerably  later  in  date,  written 
in  England  or  in  France.'  He  also  lays  stress  on  the  fact 
that,  as  is  self-evident,  those  Chronicles  contain  no  pure  history. 
But  they  represent  the  traditions  of  their  time  and  permit  us 
to  draw  retrospective  conclusions  as  to  earlier  periods. 

Lately  H.  C.  NORMAN*  has  defended  the  Ceylonese 
Chronicles,  with  complete  justice  as  it  seems  to  me,  against 

1  Asoka,  the  Buddhist  Emperor  of  India,  p.  57. 

2  Early  History  of  India  (2nd  ed.,  1908),  p.  9. 

3  Buddhist  India,  1903,  p.  274. 

4  A  Defense  of  the  Chronicles  of  the  Southern  Buddhists,  J.R.A.S. 
1908,  p.  1  foil. 


xiv  Introduction 

undeserved  distrust  and  exaggerated  scepticism.  I  draw 
attention  expressly  to  this  essay  because  it  naturally  has 
many  points  of  contact  with  my  own  researches. 

If  we  next  consider  the  two  chronicles  as  a  whole,  without 
any  prepossessions,  it  is  not  easy  to  understand  whence  this 
widespread  doubt  of  their  trustworthiness.  The  presentation 
of  the  subject,  taken  as  a  whole,  may  be  called  modest  and 
simple,  indeed  dry.  True,  there  is  no  lack  of  fables  and 
marvellous  tales.  But  they  appear  as  outward  decoration 
which  can  be  easily  omitted.  Besides,  we  always  meet  with 
such  stories  of  miracles  in  connexion  with  events  of  a  quite 
clearly  defined  category,  namely,  when  it  is  a  question  of 
celebrating  the  splendour  and  majesty  of  the  Buddhist  Order. 

Mahinda  arrives  in  Ceylon  in  marvellous  fashion,  flying 
through  the  air;  miraculous  phenomena  accompany  the 
'Establishment  of  the  Doctrine',  the  arrival  of  the  relics, 
the  planting  of  the  Bodhi-tree,  and  so  forth.  None  of  this 
can  appear  strange  to  us.  The  ornament  with  which  tradition 
here  decks  out  the  victory  of  the  Order  and  the  true  faith 
enfolds  a  deeper  meaning.  The  facts  in  themselves  are  extra- 
ordinarily simple ;  but  to  the  pious  sentiment  of  the  believer 
they  seemed  great;  and  fantasy  glorifies  them  with  the 
many-coloured  lights  of  miracle  and  legend. 

I  do  not  conceal  from  myself  that  this  judgement  of  the 
situation  lays  itself  open  to  the  reproach  that  our  method 
is  simply  to  eliminate  from  the  tradition  all  the  miraculous 
stories  and  consider  what  is  left  over  as  authentic  history.1 
But  I  think  WINDISCH  2  has  shown  admirably  how,  in  fact,  in 
the  Buddhist  tradition,  around  a  relative  small  nucleus  all 
kinds  of  additions  have  collected  in  time,  by  which  events, 
originally  simple,  are  withdrawn  gradually  into  the  region 

1  V.  A.  SMITH,  Asoka,  pp.  45-46  :  '  Most  writers  have  been  content 
to  lop  off  the  miracles  and  to  accept  the  residuum  of  the  story  as 
authentic  history.     Such  a  method  of  interpreting  a  legend  does  not 
seem  to  be  consistent  with  sound  principles  of  historical  criticism.1 

2  Mara  und  Buddha (Abhandl.d.  phil.-hist.  Cl.  der  K.  Sachs.  Gesellsch. 
d.  Wiss.,  xv,  4,  1895),  Buddha's  Geburt  (ib.,  xxvi,  2,  1907),  Die  Kom- 
position  des  Mahavastu  (ib.,  xxvii,  14,  1909). 


Introduction  *v 

of  the  marvellous.  'But  we  must  not  therefore  pour  away 
the  child  with  the  bath.  Here,  too,  the  task  of  Science  is 
to  lay  bare  the  grain  of  truth;  not  only  this,  but  she  must 
seek  the  meaning  and  significance  of  the  mythical  crown  of 
rays  that  has  gathered  round  the  nucleus.  For  the  mythical 
is  often  the  covering  of  deep  thoughts/  l 

We  shall,  of  course,  be  obliged  to  begin  by  removing  the 
mythical  additions.  But  we  need  by  no  means  take  the 
residue  as  current  coin.  Here  we  are  concerned  to  examine  how 
far  the  tradition  is  established  as  trustworthy,  by  internal  or 
external  evidence,  and  how  far  shaken  as  being  untrustworthy. 

If  we  pause  first  at  internal  evidence  then  the  Ceylonese 
Chronicles  will  assuredly  at  once  win  approval  in  that  they 
at  least  WISHED  to  write  the  truth.  Certainly  the  writers 
could  not  go  beyond  the  ideas  determined  by  their  age  and 
their  social  position,  and  beheld  the  events  of  a  past  time  in 
the  mirror  of  a  one-sided  tradition.  But  they  certainly  did 
not  intend  to  deceive  hearers  or  readers.  This  is  clear  from 
the  remarkably  objective  standpoint  from  which  they  judge 
even  the  mortal  foes  of  the  Aryan  race.  That  certainly 
deserves  to  be  emphasized.  It  is  true  not  only  of  dominating 
personalities  (such  as,  to  all  appearance,  Elara  was)  but  also 
of  the  two  usurpers  Sena  and  Guttika  it  is  said,  Dip.  18.  47 
and  Mah.  21.  11:  raj  jam  dhammena  karayum. 

Besides,  the  obvious  endeavour  to  make  out  a  systematic 
chronology  is  such  as  to  inspire  confidence  at  the  outset. 
Indeed,  whole  sections  of  the  Dip.  consist  entirely  of 
synchronistic  connexions  of  the  ecclesiastical  tradition  with 
profane  history  and  of  the  history  of  India  with  that  of 
Ceylon. 

§  3.    External  support  of  the  Chronicles. 

The  above  certainly  are,  in  the  first  place,  only  general 
considerations,  the  value  of  which  I  myself  would  by  no 
means  estimate  too  highly.  Meanwhile  it  is  more  important 
that  the  Ceylonese  tradition  has  after  all  found  support  to 
a  considerable  extent  from  external  testimony. 

1  WINDISCH,  Buddha  s  Geburt,  p.  4. 


xvi  Introduction 

1.  First  as  to  the  LIST  OF  INDIAN  KINGS  BEFORE  ASOKA/ 
the  statements  concerning  Bimbisara  and  Ajatasattu  as  con- 
temporaries of  the  Buddha  agree  with  the  canonical  writings 
and,  in  respect  of  the  names,  with  those  of  the  Brahmanic 
tradition. 

The  Jaina-tradition  has  other  names ;  this,  however,  does 
not  affect  the  actual  agreement.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  nine  Nandas  as  well  as  the  two  forerunners  of 
Asoka :  Candagutta  and  Bindusara,  were  altogether  historical 
personages.  Here  also,  in  the  number  of  years  of  Candagutta's 
reign  the  Ceylonese  tradition  agrees  completely  with  the 
Indian.  V.  A.  SMITH/  too,  does  not  hesitate  to  accept  the 
number  24  as  historical. 

Besides  the  renowned  counsellor  of  Candagutta,  the 
brahman  Canakka  (Skt.  Canakya)  is  known  to  the  Ceylonese 
Chronicles.  In  respect  of  the  length  of  Bindusara's  reign  their 
statements  differ  from  those  of  the  Puranas  by  three  years, 
in  respect  of  that  of  Asoka  by  only  one  year.  The  Ceylonese 
tradition  concerning  Indian  history  since  the  Buddha  is, 
therefore,  not  unsupported. 

2.  The  CONVERSION  OF  CEYLON  is,  according  to  Dip.  and 
Mah.,  and  finally,  according  to  the  unanimous  tradition  of  the 
country  itself,  the  work  of  Mahinda,  a  son  of  Asoka,  and  his 
sister  Samghamitta.    V.  A.  SMITH  calls  the  stories  relating  to 
this   in   the   Chronicles   'a   tissue    of   absurdities '.3     Asoka 
himself    mentions    Ceylon,    as    he    explains,    twice    in    his 
Inscriptions :  in  the  Rock-Edict  XIII,  among  the  countries 
to  which  he  despatched  missionaries,  and  in  Rock-Edict  II, 
among    those    in    which    he    provides    for    distribution    of 
medicines.4     Since  these  Edicts  belong  to  the  thirteenth  year 

1  Cf.  the  tables  to  §  9. 

a  Early  History  of  India,  pp.  115-118.     Cf.  also  Asoka,  p.  95. 

3  Asoka,  p.  45.    OLDENBERG  also  (ibid.,  p.  46)  considers  the  tradi- 
tion a  pure  invention. 

4  Cf.  the  translations  in  V.  A.  SMITH'S  Asoka,  pp.  129-133  and 
pp.  115-116.  The  expression  cikisaka(  =  Skt.  cikitsa,  p.tikiccha)» 
which    SENART    translates    remedes,  is  rendered  by  BUHLER  (see 
Z.D.M.G.  48,  1894,  p.  50)  'hospitals'. 


Introduction 

of  Asoka's  reign  there  appears  to  be  an  error  in  the  Ceylonese 
tradition  which  puts  the  conversion  of  Ceylon  as  far  on  as 
the  eighteenth  year.  On  the  other  hand  Asoka,  in  the  opinion 
of  SMITH,  would,  if  he  had  really  handed  over  his  son  Mahinda 
and  his  daughter  Samghamitta  to  the  Church,  and  had  brought 
about  the  conversion  of  the  king  of  Ceylon,  certainly  not  have 
neglected  to  bring  it  into  notice.  The  name  '  Samghamitta ' 
is,  he  thinks,  from  its  very  meaning,  suspicious. 

I  discuss  the  arguments  in  the  reverse  order.  The  name 
Samghamitta  is  of  course  that  which  she  herself  assumed 
on  entering  the  Order.  That,  beside  this  name,  under  which 
she  became  a  renowned  saint  of  the  Buddhist  Church,  the 
lay-name  fell  into  complete  oblivion  can  certainly  not  cause 
any  surprise. 

That  Asoka  makes  no  mention  of  Mahinda  and  Sam- 
ghamitta in  his  Edicts  is  an  argumentum  e  silentio.  That 
there  is  any  cogency  in  such  an  argument  V.  A.  SMITH  will 
surely  not  maintain.  It  is  indeed  very  difficult  to  say  in  what 
connexion  the  king  would  be  obliged  to  speak  of  the  matter. 
It  can  be  perhaps  expected  chiefly  in  the  so-called  Minor 
Rock-Edict  I,  the  Edict  of  Rupnath,  Sahasram  and  Brahma- 
giri.  But  here  the  reason  would  again  disappear  if  with 
FLEET1  we  date  this  edict  in  the  year  256  A.D.  In  this  case, 
the  sending  of  Mahinda  would  be  about  twenty  years  earlier 
than  the  edict,  and  would  belong  to  past  times. 

I  certainly  do  not  wish  to  decide  here  for  or  against 
FLEET'S  theory.  But  it  is  clear  that  we  are  standing  on  too 
uncertain  ground  to  allow  ourselves  to  proceed  without  hesita- 
tion from  an  argumentum  e  silentio. 

Now,  finally,  what  as  to  the  mention  of  Missions  to  Ceylon 
in  the  Asoka  Inscriptions  earlier  than  the  thirteenth  year  of 
the  king's  reign  ? 

I  may  observe  that,  at  the  outset,  it  is  not  absolutely 
certain  whether  by  the  Tambapanni  of  the  Inscriptions 
Ceylon  is  really  meant.  Possibly  the  name  may  designate  the 

1  <  The  Conversion  of  Asoka,'  J.R.A.S.  1908,  p.  486  foil. ;  '  The  Last 
Edict  of  Asoka,' 16.,  p.  811  foil. ;  'The  Last  Words  of  Asoka,'  /&.,  1910, 
p.  1301  foil. 

b 


Introduction 

Tinnevelli  district  at  the  southern  extremity  of  India,  where 
the  river  Tamraparm  flows  into  the  sea.1  But,  at  the  same 
time,  if  Tambapanni  should  be  understood  to  mean  Ceylon 
the  authenticity  of  Dip.  and  Mah.  is  not  affected  in  the 

ESSENTIAL  points. 

Let  us  look  at  the  positive  contents  of  the  tradition.  We 
are  certain  of:  (1)  the  name  Mahinda  as  the  apostle  of 
Ceylon.  Nor  is  that  disputed  by  V.  A.  SMITH.  Here  the 
Ceylon ese  narrative  finds  gratifying  support  from  Hiuen- 
thsang  2  who  mentions  Mahendra  by  name  expressly  as  the  man 
by  whom  the  true  doctrine  was  spread  abroad  in  the  kingdom 
of  Simhala.  It  is  certain :  (2)  that  this  Mahendra  was  a  near 
relative  of  king  Asoka.  The  Chinese  pilgrims  call  him  the 
younger  brother  3  of  this  latter,  the  Ceylon  Chronicles  call  him 
his  son.  Here  we  have  two  conflicting  reports,  and  it  would 
be  simply  arbitrary  to  prefer  the  statement  of  the  Chinese 
pilgrims  to  the  Ceylonese  tradition. 

But  at  what  result  do  we  arrive  if  we  put  together  these 
established  facts  and  the  mention  of  Ceylon  in  the  earlier 
Asoka  Inscriptions?  Simply  and  solely  that  which  is  self- 
evident,  namely,  that  before  Mahinda  relations  existed  between 
continental  India  and  Ceylon  and  efforts  were  made  to  trans- 
plant the  Buddhist  doctrine  to  Ceylon. 

But  with  Mahinda  this  process  comes  to  a  successful  end. 
We  can  understand  therefore  that  all  the  interest  became  con- 
centrated in  his  person,  and  that  tradition  wrought  together 
in  dramatic  fashion  that  which  was  a  thing  of  slow  con- 
tinuous development.  I  consider  that  this  would  always  and 
in  all  circumstances  have  been  the  critical  judgment  on  the 

1  Imp.  Gazetteer  of  India,  s.v.  Cf.  on  this  subject  HULTSZCH, 
J.R.A.S.  1910,  p.  1310,  n.  4. 

8  ST.  JULIEN,  Memoires  sur  les  contrees  occidentales,  par  Hiouen- 
ihsang,  ii,  p.  140 ;  BEAL,  Si-yu-ki,  Buddhist  Records  of  the  Western 
World,  transl.  from  the  Chinese  of  Hiuen-thsang,  ii,  pp.  246-247 ; 
T.  WATTERS,  On  Yuan  Chwang,  ii.  93,  230,  234. 

a  Besides  Hiuen-thsang  we  have  mention  by  Fa-hian  (see  LEGGE, 
A  Record  of  Buddhistic  Kingdoms  by  Fd-hitn,  p.  77)  of  a  younger 
brother  of  Asoka,  who  became  a  monk,  without,  however,  mention  of 
liis  name  or  allusion  to  the  mission  to  Ceylon. 


Introduction  *ix 

reports  of  our  Chronicles  as  to  the  conversion  of  Ceylon. 
The  fact,  in  essential  respects,  holds  good,  but  it  is  a  question 
of  putting  it  in  the  right  light. 

Besides,  a  hint  that  Mahinda's  mission  was  preceded  by 
similar  missions  to  Ceylon  is  to  be  found  even  in  Dip.  and  Mah., 
when  they  relate  that  Asoka,  sending  to  Devanampiyatissa, 
with  presents  for  his  second  consecration  as  king,  exhorted 
him  to  adhere  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha.1 

Certainly  on  chronological  grounds  this  cannot  be  immedi- 
ately connected  with  the  notices  of  the  conversion  of  Ceylon 
to  be  found  in  the  inscriptions.  But  it  shows  us  that,  even 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  Chronicles  of  Ceylon,  Buddhism 
was  not  quite  unknown  in  that  country  already  before  Mahinda's 
time. 

3.  The  HISTORY  OF  THE  MISSIONS  as  related  in  Dip.  and 
Mah.2  receives  most  striking  confirmation  in  the  inscriptions 
discovered.  On  the  inner  lid  of  the  relic-urn  which  was  found 
in  Tope  no.  2  of  the  Sanchi  group  there  is  this  inscription  : 
Sapurisa(sa)  Majhimasa  ' (relics)  of  the  pious  man  Maj- 
jhima'. On  the  outer  lid  is  Sapurisa(sa)  Kasapagotasa 
Hemavatacariyasa'  (relics)  of  the  pious  man  Kassapagotta 
(i.  e.  of  the  Kassapa  clan),  the  teacher  of  the  Himalaya  '.3 
Now  Majjhima  is,  in  fact,  named  in  the  Mah.  as  the  teacher 
who  converted  the  Himalaya  region  and  Kassapagotto 
thero  appears  as  his  companion  in  the  Dip.4 

Again  in  the  superscription  of  a  relic-casket  from  Tope 
no.  2  of  the  Sonari  group  the  same  Majjhima  is  mentioned. 

On  another  urn  from  the  same  Tope  we  again  find  the  name 
of  Kassapagotta,  this  time  with  the  epithet  Kotiputta  and 
again  with  the  designation  '  Teacher  of  the  whole  Himalaya '. 

In  a  third  urn-inscription  Gotiputta  (i.  e.  Kotiputta  Kassapa- 

1  Dip.  12.  5-6  ;  Mah.  11.  34-35  ;  Smp.  3235-8. 

2  Dip.  8.  1-13  ;  Mah.  12.  1-54.     Cf.  also  Smp.  31417-31825. 

3  See  CUNNINGHAM,  The  Bhilsa  Topes,  p.  287.    Cf.  RHYS  DAVIDS, 
Buddhist  India,  pp.  299-301. 

4  Mah.  12.  6,  41 ;  Dip.  8.  10.     Cf.  Smp.  31719 ;  Mahabodhivamsa  (ed. 
STRONG)  1155,  where  also  Kassapagotta  is  mentioned  together  with 
Majjhima.     Cf.  also  Mah.  Tika,  222r. 

b2 


xx  Introduction 

gotta)  appears  in  connexion  with  Dadabhisara.  This  is 
evidently  the  Dundubhissara  of  the  Dip.  and  the  Mahabodhi- 
vamsa  who  was  also  among  those  theras  who  won  the  Himalaya 
countries  to  the  Buddha's  doctrine.1 

Finally  the  name  of  the  thera  who,  according  to  tradition, 
presided  over  the  third  council  under  Asoka's  rule,  is  also 
shown  to  be  authentic  by  an  inscription  in  a  relic-casket  from 
Tope  no.  2  of  the  Sanchi  group.2  There  is  no  doubt  that  by 
the  Sapurisasa  Mogaliputasa  is  meant  the  Moggaliputta 
Tissa  of  the  Ceylonese  Chronicles. 

4.  Moreover,  the  narrative  of  the  transplanting  of  a  branch 
of  the  sacred  Bodhi-tree  from  Uruvela  to  Ceylon  finds  interest- 
ing confirmation  in  the  monuments. 

At  least  GRUNWEDEL,  in  an  ingenious  and,  to  me,  con- 
vincing way,3  points  out  that  the  sculptures  of  the  lower  and 
middle  architraves  of  the  East  Gate  of  the  Sanchi  Tope  are 
representations  of  that  event.  Since  the  Sanchi-sculptures 
belong  to  the  second  century  B.  c.  the  representation  is  distant 
from  the  event  by  roughly  speaking,  only  100  or  at  most 
150  years. 

§  4.   Errors  in  the  Chronology  of  the  Earliest 
Historical  Period. 

I  consider  that  such  objective  confirmation  of  the  Chronicles 
proves  at  the  very  least  this  much  :  that  their  statements  are 
not  absolutely  untenable  and  are  at  least  worthy  of  being  tested. 
Naturally  they  are  not  infallible  and  the  longer  the  interval 
between  the  time  of  the  events  and  the  time  when  they  are 
related,  the  greater  the  possibility  of  an  objective  error,  and 
so  much  the  more  will  the  influence  of  legend  be  noticeable. 

As  regards  the  oldest  period  from  Vijaya  to  Devanampiya- 
tissa  we  feel  a  certain  distrust  of  the  tradition  and  traditional 


1  CUNNINGHAM,  1. 1.,  pp.  316-317. 
8  CUNNINGHAM,  I.  Z.,  p.  289. 

3  GRUNWEDEL,  Buddhist.  Kunst  in  Indien,  pp.  72-73.   Cf.  also  RHYS 
DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  302. 


Introduction  xxi 

chronology  from  the  very  fact  that  Vijaya' s  arrival  in  Ceylon 
is  dated  on  the  day  of  the  Buddha's  death.1  This  seems  to  be 
a  biassed  account.  Besides,  there  are  the  round  numbers  for 
the  length  of  the  single  reigns  which  have  in  themselves  the 
appearance  of  a  set  scheme  and  involve,  moreover,  a  positive 
impossibility  in  respect  of  the  last  two  kings  of  that  period, 
PANDUKABHAYA  and  MUTASIVA. 

According  to  our  Chronicles2  Pandukabhaya  was  born 
shortly  before  the  death  of  Panduvasudeva.  Then  followed 
the  reign  of  Abhaya,  twenty  years,  and  an  interregnum  of 
seventeen  years.  Then  Pandukabhaya  ascends  the  throne  at 
the  age  of  thirty-seven  years.  He  reigns  seventy  years. 
That  would  bring  his  age  to  107  years  ! 

This,  however,  is  not  enough.  Pandukabhaya's  successor 
is  his  son  Mutasiva.  He  is  born  of  Suvannapali  whom 
Pandukabhaya  had  already  married  before  the  beginning  of 
his  reign.  Mutasiva  must  then  have  been  past  the  prime 
of  manhood  when  he  succeeded  to  the  throne.  In  spite  of 
this  a  reign  of  sixty  years  is  attributed  to  him. 

It  seems  to  me  that  certain  names  and  events  in  the 
tradition  may  indeed  be  maintained,  but  that  the  last  reigns 
were  lengthened  in  order  to  make  Vijaya  and  the  Buddha 
contemporaries. 

That  in  respect  of  certain  facts,  the  tradition  is  by  no 
means  without  value  for  that  first  period  of  Ceylonese  history, 
is  shown,  for  instance,  by  the  account  of  Pandukabhaya's 
campaigns,3  which  decidedly  gives  an  impression  of  trust- 
worthiness. 

Also  after  Devanampiyatissa's  reign  we  find  matter  for 
doubt.4  A  reign  of  forty  years  is  attributed  to  the  king 

1  Mali.  6.  47.    In  the  Dip.  9.  21-22  it  is  stated,  in  a  somewhat  more 
general  way,  that  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  Buddha  (parinib- 
banasamaye,  not  precisely  on  the  day  of  the  death)  Vijaya  landed  in 
Ceylon.    The  same  in  Smp.  32020. 

2  Dip.  11.  1,  4;  Mah.  9.  28;  10.  106.    See  previously  TURNOUK, 
Mdhciwanso,  Introd.,  p.  li. 

3  Mah.  10. 26  foil.     See  below,  Appendix  C,  p.  288  foil. 

4  Cf.  also  on  this  subject  FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p.  340. 


xxii  Introduction 

mentioned,  who  is  said  to  have  been  Mutasiva's  second  son, 
although  he  was  no  longer  young  when  he  ascended  the  throne. 
But  to  him  succeeded  three  younger  brothers,  Uttiya,1  Mahasiva 
and  Suratissa,  each  of  whom  reigned  ten  (=  thirty)  years. 
Nay,  after  the  intervening  rule  of  the  two  Damilas,  Sena 
and  Guttika,  which  lasted  twelve  years,  a  fourth  brother, 
Asela,  ascends  the  throne  and  also  reigns  ten  years. 

The  reigns  of  the  sons  of  Mutasiva,  who  himself  occupied 
the  throne  for  sixty  years,  would  then  cover  a  period  of 
ninety-two  years ! 

We  see  clearly  that  also  in  the  period  between  Devanampiya- 
tissa  and  Dutthagamani  there  were  still  gaps  in  the  tradition 
which  were  filled  in  with  fictitious  construction.  For  the  line 
of  Devanampiyatissa  we  have  again  the  remarkable  round 
numbers  40  + 10  + 10  + 10  + 10. 

In  the  later  periods  we  encounter  no  such  difficulties  and 
impossibilities.  The  chronology  is  credible,  the  numbers  appear 
less  artificial  and  more  trustworthy. 

But  even  in  that  first  historical  period  one  fact  stands  out 
clearly  and  distinctly  from  the  wavering  traditions  concerning 
the  times  immediately  before  and  after.  That  is  the  reign 
of  Devanampiyatissa  and  the  arrival  of  Mahinda  in  Ceylon. 
And  with  this  we  approach  the  general  standpoint  from  which 
we  have  to  judge  the  historical  tradition  as  to  the  earliest  and 
earlier  times  in  our  Chronicles. 

§  5.    The  Year  of  the  Buddha's  Death. 

fWe  have  to  do  with  a  monkish  tradition.  The  starting- 
point  of  its  chronological  statements  is  the  year  of  the 
Buddha's  death.  For  this  tradition  naturally  not  every  event 
iior  every  historical  personage  is  important  to  an  equal  degree, 
but  chiefly  in  so  far  as  they  were  of  importance  for  the 
development  of  the  Buddhist  community.  There  are  isolated 
occurrences  and  personalities  connected,  even  in  early  times, 

1  The  name  of  Uttiya  and  his  consort  is  confirmed  by  an  inscription 
in  Periya-Puliyankulam  (Northern  Province).    See  Archaeological 
rey  of  Ceylon,  Annual  Report,  1905  (xx.  1909),  p.  45. 


Introduction 

with  a  certain  date  which  announced  the  time  that  had  passed 
since  the  Buddha's  death.1  As  for  the  intervening  period 
the  traditions  concerning  it  were  far  less  well  established  and 
precise,  especially  from  the  chronological  point  of  view. 

Here  fictions  were  made,  building  up  and  completing  the 
tradition  from  which  subsequently,  with  those  fixed  points  as 
framework,  the  chronological  system  was  developed  that  we 
find  in  the  Dip.  and  Mah.,  as  also  in  the  Introduction  to  the 
Snip.,  and  again  in  the  later  historical  literature  of  Ceylon. 
In  the  Dip.,  the  oldest  source  accessible  to  us,  this  system, 
appears  already  complete.  It  is  most  certainly  not  a  creation 
of  the  author  of  the  Chronicle  but  only  taken  over,  in  all 
probability,  from  the  Atthakatha. 

One  of  the  fixed  dates,  which  was  established  at  a  specially 
early  period,  and  which  evidently  forms  the  corner-stone  of 
the  whole  system,  is  the  number  218  for  the  consecration 
(abhiseka)  of  Asoka.  The  Dip.  6.  1,  says: — 

dve  satani  ca  vassani  attharasa  vassani  ca  I 
sambuddhe  parinibbute  abhisitto  Piyadassano  II 

*  218  years  after  the  Sambuddha  had  passed  into  Nirvana 
Piyadassano  (Asoka)  was  consecrated/ 
And  the  Mah.  5.  21:— 

Jinanibbanato  paccha  pura  tassabhisekato 
Sattharasam  vassasatadvayam  evam  vijaniyam. 

'After  the  Nirvana  of  the  Conqueror  and  before  his 
( Asoka' s)  consecration  there  were  218  years;  this  should  be 
known/ 

1  In  the  same  way,  to  date  the  Mahavira  in  the  Jaina  tradition  the 
number  155  is  evidently  decisive  as  being  the  sum  total  of  the  years 
between  his  death  and  the  beginning  of  Candragupta's  reign.  See 
Hemacandra's  Parisistaparvan,  ed.  JACOBI,  viii.  339 ;  Pref.,  p.  6.  If 
we  accept  the  year  321  B.C.  for  this  last  event  we  have  as  result 
476  B.  c.  as  the  year  of  Mahavira's  death.  Certainly  this  is  in  contra- 
diction with  the  Buddhist  reckoning  in  so  far  as,  according  to  Majjh. 
Nik.  II.  24318  foil.,  the  '  Nigantha  Nataputta '  (i.e.  the  Mahavira)  must 
have  died  BEFORE  the  Buddha.  OLDENBERG,  Z.D.M.G.  34,  p.  749. 


Introduction 
THAT  is  TO  SAY,  THAT  AFTER  A  LAPSE  OF  218  YEARS,  i.  e. 

SOMETIME  IN  THE  YEAR  219  AFTER  THE  BUDDHA^S  DEATH,  THE 
CONSECRATION  OF  ASOKA  TOOK  PLACE.1 

Since  Asoka  had  already  reigned  four  years  before  he  per- 
formed the  abhiseka  ceremony2  his  accession  falls  214  years 
after  the  Nirvana.  According  to  the  Ceylonese  tradition  the 
reign  of  Asoka  was  preceded  by  that  of  Bindusara,  lasting 
twenty-eight,  and  that  of  Candagutta  lasting  twenty-four 
years  (Mah.  5.  18;  Dip.  5.  100).  Thus  Candagutta  would 
have  ascended  the  throne  214  —  (28  +  24  years),  i.  e.  162  years 
after  the  Nirvana.3  Now  this  event  is  one  of  the  few  in  the 
earlier  Indian  history  which  we  can  date  with  some  approach 
to  certainty.  It  falls  in  the  year  321  B.C.  or  within  two 
years  of  this  date,4  allowing  for  error. 

THUS     THERE     RESULTS     AS     THE     PROBABLE     YEAS,     OF     THE 

BUDDHA'S  DEATH  (321  +  162)  =  483  B.C.  As  he  died  at  the 
age  of  eighty  years  the  year  of  his  birth  should  be  put  at 
563  B.C. 

But  we  must  emphatically  state  that  this  calculation  too  is 
hypothetical,  that  we  are  only  able  to  give  an  approximate 
and  not  a  perfectly  exact  result.  Moreover,  we  shall  see 
below  that,  in  the  Ceylon  Chronicles  themselves,  there  is 
a  contradiction  which  we  can  hardly  pass  by. 

First  of  all  the  whole  calculation,  as  OLDENBERG5  has 
quite  justly  insisted,  rests  on  the  supposition  that  the  date 

1  Slightly  different  in  the  Smp.,  p.  29920,  which  puts  the  abhiseka 
in  the  year  218  (dvinnam  vassasatanam  upari  attharasarae 
vasse).     On  the  tradition  on  Asoka's  age  of  the  Northern  Buddhists 
see  §  11. 

2  Dip.  6.  21-22;  cf.  Smp.  1. 1.    Moreover,  Mah.  5.  22  contains  the 
same  statement.     NORMAN,  J.R.A.S.  1908,  p.  10,  is  mistaken  when 
he  says  that,  according  to  the  Mah.,  accession  should  be  put  at  the 
year  218  A.B.  and  the  abhiseka  at  222. 

3  With  this  calculation  cf.  FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1906,  pp.  984-986  and 
1909,  p.  1  foil.,  and  particularly  p.  28  foil.    See  also  WICKREMA- 
SINGHE,  Epigraphia  Zeylanica,  i,  p.  142,  n.  7. 

4  V.  A.  SMITH,  J.R.A.S.  1901,  pp.  831-834 ;  Early  History  of  India, 
pp.  38-39. 

6  Archiv  fftr  Religionswissenschaft,  1910,  p.  611. 


Introduction 

218  for  Asoka's  abhiseka  is  authentic.  It  really  seems  to 
me  that  it  is  just  on  this  very  point  that  scepticism  is  least 
necessary.  The  date  is  supported  by  the  best  testimony  and 
has  nothing  in  it  to  call  for  suspicion.  The  interval  of  time 
is  certainly  not  so  great  that  the  preserving,  within  the  eccle- 
siastical world,  of  a  definite  tradition  as  to  an  event  of  such 
great  importance  should  be  improbable  or  indeed  impossible. 

On  the  other  hand  we  must  not  forget  that  the  date  321 
for  Candragupta's  accession,  which  forms  a  point  of  support 
for  the  hypothesis,  is  only  approximately  correct.  A  little 
shifting  back  or  forward  is  therefore  quite  possible. 

Finally,  there  is  the  supposition  that  the  length  of  Canda- 
gutta's  reign  (twenty-four  years)  and  Bindusara's  (twenty- 
eight)  is  established  with  certainty.  Now  it  seems  indeed 
that,  with  regard  to  the  former,  scepticism  is  quite  out  of 
place.  Here  the  northern  tradition  is  in  agreement  with  the 
southern,1  which  is  certainly  an  important  point.  On  the  other 
hand  there  is  a  difference  of  three  years  in  respect  of  Bindu- 
sara's  reign.  Here  again  there  is  a  possibility  that  the  date 
may  be  shifted. 

Nevertheless  it  does  seem  that  on  the  much-disputed  ques- 
tion of  the  year  of  the  Buddha's  death  there  is  a  tendency 
toward  unison.  Marked  differences  of  view  are  disappearing, 
the  accepted  dates  are  less  far  removed  one  from  another.2 

The  chronology  current  in  Ceylon,  Burma,  Siam  starts 
out  from  the  middle  of  the  year  544  B.C.3  as  the  date  of  the 
Nirvana.  That  this  date  is  wrong  and  contains  an  error  of, 
roughly  speaking,  sixty  years,  is  now,  we  may  say,  generally 
admitted.  Moreover,  FLEET*  has  pointed  out  that  this 
reckoning  is  by  no  means  based  on  a  continuous  tradition 

1  Cf.  below  the  tables  to  §  9. 

2  For  earlier  views   see   FLEET,  J.E.A.S.  1909,  pp.  4-5;   MABEL 
DUFF,  Chronology  of  India,  p.  7  ;  KERN,  Manual  of  Indian  Buddhism, 
p.  107,  n.  6. 

3  Not    543 !      See  WICKREMASINGHE,    Epigraphia    Zeylanica,    i, 
p.  122,  n.  7.    The  year  of  Buddha,  2444,  began  on  May  13,  1900. 

*  «  The  Origin  of  the  Buddhavarsha,  the  Ceylonese  Reckoning  from 
the  Death  of  Buddha,'  J.E.A.S.  1909,  p.  323  foil.,  esp.  332. 


xxvi  Introduction 

from  early  times.  It  is  rather  a  relatively  late  fabrication, 
which  probably  does  not  go  back  further  than  the  twelfth 
century  A.D.1  How  the  error  of  sixty  years  came  into  the 
era  certainly  still  needs  explanation. 

Again,  the  date  477  B.C.  as  the  year  of  the  Buddha's  death, 
which  was  accepted  by  MAX  MULLER  and  CUNNINGHAM,  must 
be  given  up.  It  rests  on  the  erroneous  premise  that  the  year 
of  Candragupta's  accession  was  315  B.C.2 

V.  A.  SMITH3  accepts  487  or  486  B.C.  as  the  year  of  the 
Nirvana,  GOPALA  AIYER,*  who  starts  from  269  as  the  year  of 
Asoka's  coronation,  the  year  486  B.C.  Both  attach  some  im- 
portance, it  would  seem,  to  the  so-called  'dotted  Record',5 
which  was  continued  in  Canton  up  to  the  year  489  A.  D.  and 
marks  each  year,  from  the  date  of  the  Buddha  onwards,  with 
a  dot.  In  the  year  489  A.  D.  the  number  of  dots  amounted  to 
975,  which  would  bring  us  to  the  year  486  B.C.  as  the  starting- 
point. 

I  would  not  for  my  part  attach  too  much  importance  to 
this  '  dotted  Record '.  It  is  singularly  improbable  that  in  the 
course  of  time — it  is  a  question  of  nearly  a  thousand  years  ! — 
not  a  single  error  or  oversight  should  have  occurred.  The 
essential,  to  my  thinking,  is  that  the  difference  between  the 
various  reckonings  is  already  reduced  by  now  to  three  or  four 
years.  But  if  V.  A.  SMITH,  from  his  own  standpoint,  arrives 
at  a  result  so  closely  approaching  that  to  which  the  corrected 
Ceylon-Tradition  brings  us,  he  might  well  have  been  led  to  a 
somewhat  milder  judgment  as  to  their  trustworthiness  and 
their  value. 

Finally,  the  whole  difference  comes  down  to  this :  whether, 
agreeing  with  the  Puranas,  we  allow  Bindusara  a  reign  of 
twenty-five  years,  or,  in  agreement  with  the  Mahavamsa,  allow 
him  twenty-eight  years.  In  the  former  case  we  come  to  the 

1  As  it  now  appears  (see  below)  in  the  eleventh  century. 

2  S.B.E.,  x,  2nd  ed.,  1908,  pp.  43-47. 

3  Early  History  of  India,  pp.  41-43. 

4  'The  Date  of  Buddha,'  Ind.  Ant.  xxxvii,  1908,  p.  341  foil. 

3  See  TAKAKUSU,  J.R.A.S.  1896,  p.  436  foil. ;  1897,  p.  113;  FLEET, 
ib.,  1909,  p.  9. 


Introduction 

year  486  as  the  year  of  the  Nirvana,  in  the  latter  case  to 
483  B.C.  If  we  then  take  the  219th  year  after  the  Nirvana 
as  the  year  of  Asoka's  abhiseka,  there  results  in  the  former 
case  268/67  B.C.,  in  the  latter  265/64  B.C. 

It  would  be  of  great  importance  to  us  if  we  might  refer  the 
date  256  at  the  end  of  the  so-called  '  Minor  Rock-Edict  I ' l  to 
the  years  elapsed  from  the  Nirvana  to  the  publication  of  the 
Edict.  This  opinion  was  formerly  held,  represented  particu- 
larly by  BUHLEII  and  FLEET.2 

But  recently  the  interpretation  of  that  Edict  was  cleared  up 
to  a  certain  extent.  The  merit  belongs  to  F.  W.  THOMAS. 3 
He  was  the  first  to  point  out  that  the  expressions  vivuthena 
and  vivas  a  (vivutha),  which  appear  in  connexion  with  the 
number  256,  should  be  derived  from  vi-vas  in  the  sense  '  to  be 
absent  from  home,  to  dwell  far  away '.  Then  in  his  second 
article  he  has  ingeniously  demonstrated  that  the  number  256 
does  not  denote  years  but  nights,  i.  e.  nights  and  days.  In  the 
Sahasram.  text  he  first  discovered  the  word  lati  =  ratri  in  duve 
sapamnalatisata  =  Skt.  dve  satpancasaratrisate. 

These  discoveries  were  acknowledged  both  by  FLEET  and 
HuLTZSCH.4  But  now  opinions  diverge.  F.  W.  THOMAS  takes 
it  to  mean  that  Asoka  published  the  Edict  when  on  a  religious 
journey.  The  number  would  refer  to  the  256  changes  of 
camp  in  the  course  of  this  tour  of  inspection. 

But  FLEET  interprets  vivutha  and  vivasa  in  another  way. 
According  to  him  the  allusion  is  to  the  renunciation  of  the 
household  life,  to  the  life  far  from  house  and  family.  He 
takes  it  to  mean  that  Asoka  after  a  reign  of  thirty-seven  years 
had  renounced  the  throne  and  the  world  to  spend  the  rest  of 
his  life  in  religious  retreat.  His  dwelling  was  the  mountain 

1  The  Edict  is  to  be  found  in  Rupnath,  Sahasram,  in  Brahmagiri 
and  elsewhere.    V.  A.  SMITH,  Asoka,  p.  138,  n.  3. 

2  Cf.  BiiHLER,  Epigraphia  Indica,  iii.  138;  FLEET,  'The  last  Edict 
of  Asoka,'  J.R.A.S.  1908,  p.  811  foil. 

3  Ind.  Ant.  xxxvii,  1908,  pp.  22-23,  and  especially  'Les  vivasah 
d'Asoka ',  Journal  Asiatique,  May-June,  1910,  p.  507  foil. 

4  FLEET,  'The  Last  Words  of  Asoka,1  J.R.A.S.  1910,  p.  1302  foil. ; 
HULTZSCH,  'A  Third  Note  on  the  Rupnath  Edict,'  16.,  p.  1308  foil. 


Introduction 

Suvarnagiri  near  Girivraja  in  Magadha.1  Hence  in  the 
passage  which  is  preamble  to  the  Edict  in  the  Mysore  ver- 
sions Suvarnagiri  is  named,  and  not  the  capital  Pataliputra, 
as  the  place  where  the  Edict,  the  'last  word  of  Asoka',  was 
published. 

Moreover,  the  number  256  has,  according  to  FLEET,  a 
special  significance.  It  was  not  by  chance  that  Asoka  pub- 
lished the  Edict  on  the  256th  day  of  his  life  in  retreat.  At 
this  very  time  the  256th  year  since  the  Nirvana  came  to  an 
end.  Asoka  would  thus  have  spent,  for  each  year  elapsed 
since  the  Buddha's  death,  one  day  in  religious  contemplation 
as  a  brahmacarl. 

This  is  a  very  ingenious  idea.  But  it  would  be  hazardous 
for  the  present  time  to  base  further  conclusions  on  this  bold 
and  seductive  combination. 

§  6.     Traces  of  an  era  in  Ceylon  reckoned  from  483  B.C. 

Recently,  however,  the  date  483  seems  to  have  found  further 
support.  Here  we  must  take  into  consideration  an  important 
observation  of  WiCKREMASiNGHE,2  which  completes  the  proof 
adduced  by  FLEET  and  discussed  above,  of  the  late  origin  of 
the  Ceylonese  era,  that  starts  from  the  year  544.  Indications 
are  to  be  found  that  in  earlier  times,  and  indeed  down  to  the 
beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  an  era  persisted  even  in 
Ceylon  which  was  reckoned  from  483  B.C.,  as  the  year  of  the 
Buddha's  death.  From  the  middle  of  the  eleventh  century 
the  new  era  took  its  rise,  being  reckoned  from  the  year  544, 
and  this  is  still  in  use. 

In  dealing  with  the  question  we  have  to  date  the  immediate 
predecessors  of  king  Parakramabahu  I,  beginning  with 
Udaya  III  (1507  A.B.).3 

As  to  Parakramabahu  I,  we  have  information  from  inscrip- 

1  Cf.  also  on  this,   FLEET,  '  The  Conversion  of  Asoka,'  J.R.A.S. 
1908,  p.  486/otf. 

2  See  Epigraphia  Zeylanica,  i,  p.  155  foil. 

3  The  names  are  given  in  WIJESINHA,  The  Mahavansa,  Part  II, 
translated,  pp.  xxii-xxiii. 


Introduction 

tions,  confirmed  and  completed  by  literary  data,  according  to 
which  he  was  crowned  when  1696  years  had  elapsed  since  the 
Buddha's  death,  that  is,  in  the  year  1697  A.B.  Eight  years 
later,  1705  A.B.,  a  second  coronation  apparently  took  place. 
In  the  fourth  year  afterwards,  when  1708  years  had  gone  by 
since  the  Nirvana,  that  is,  in  1709  A.  B.,  he  held  a  Buddhist 
Synod.1  According  to  the  Ceylonese  era  those  are  the  years 
1153,  1161,  1165  A.  D.  But  this  date  for  Parakramabahu  is 
supported  by  an  entirely  independent  source,  namely  a  South- 
Indian  inscription  at  the  Temple  of  Tiruvalisvara  in  Arpak- 
kama.  Thus  for  the  second  half  of  the  twelfth  century  the 
existence  of  the  Ceylon  era,  reckoned  from  544,  is  established 
with  certainty. 

Now  according  to  the  Culavamsa  2  (56.  16  foil.)  the  six 
predecessors  of  Parakramabahu,  from  Parakrama  Pandu 
onwards,  reigned  107  years.  Thus  the  accession  of  the  last- 
named  prince  falls  at  1590  A.  B.  or,  according  to  the  Ceylonese 
era,  1046  A.D.  Moreover,  this  date  is  confirmed  by  the 
South-Indian  Manimahgalam  inscription,  which  is  dated  in 
the  same  year.3 

According  to  the  latter,  Parakrama  Pandu  was  conquered 
and  killed  in  this  year  by  the  Cola  king  Kajadhiraja  I.  It 
is  true  the  Culavamsa  gives  Parakrama  Pandu  a  reign  of 
two  years,  but  we  must  rather  take  the  accession  and  death 
of  the  king  as  falling  in  one  and  the  same  year,  1590  A.  B. 
=  1046  A.  D.  Thus  it  is  proved,  at  the  same  time,  that  the 
Ceylon-era  also  existed  in  the  middle  of  the  eleventh  century. 

But  from  a  South-Indian  inscription  we  can  also  fix  a  date 
for  Udaya  III  among  the  predecessors  of  Parakrama  Pandu, 
a  date  which  throws  a  completely  new  light  on  the  whole 
reckoning  of  eras. 

1  See  the  Galvihara-Insc.  of  Polonnaruwa,  11.  1-4  (ED.  MULLER, 
Ancient  Inscr.  of  Ceylon,  pp.  87,  120) ;    Nikaya-sangraha,  ed.  WICK- 
REMASINGHE,  pp.  2026,  226.     Cf.  Epigr.  Zeyl.  i,  p.  123. 

2  I  designate  thus  the  later  continuation  of  the  Mahavamsa  from 
37.  51  onwards. 

3  HULTZSCH,  South  Indian  Inscriptions,  iii,  no.  28,  p.  53 ;  Epigr. 
Zeyl.  pp.  80,  155. 


Introduction 

Since,  according  to  the  Culavamsa,1  the  time  between  the 
accession  of  Udaya  III  and  that  of  Parakrama  Pandu  amounts 
to  ninety-three  years  eight  days,  and,  as  we  saw  above,  the 
latter  ascended  the  throne  in  1590  A.  B.,  we  have  consequently 
for  the  accession  of  this  former  king  the  date  1497  A.  B.  But 
this  year,  according  to  the  Tanjore  inscription  of  king  Rajendra 
Coladeva,  must  be  about  the  year  1015  A.  D. 

The  inscription  2  gives  an  account  of  a  military  expedition 
to  Ceylon.  This  invasion  by  Cola  corresponds  as  to  its  details 
with  one  which,  according  to  the  Culavamsa  53.  40  foil., 
occurred  under  Udaya  III  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign. 
KIELHORN  has  calculated  the  time  of  Coladeva's  accession  as 
between  the  end  of  1011  and  the  middle  of  1012  A.  D.  ;  the 
expedition  falls  between  the  fourth  and  sixth  year  of  the 
reign,  that  is,  between  1015  and  1018.  These  years  must 
coincide  with  the  years  1497  and  1498  A.  B.  Of  the  1497 
years  (  —  1015)  remain  482,  which  fall  within  pre-Christian 
times.  In  other  words  :  THE  BUDDHA  DIED  483  B.C. 

So,  with  WICKREMASINGHE  (1. 1.,  p.  157)  we  must  state  the 
matter  thus.  The  author  of  that  part  of  the  Culavamsa 
which  deals  with  the  kings  from  Udaya  III  to  Parakrama- 
bahu  I  lived  at  a  time  when  the  present  era,  reckoned  from 
544  B.  c.,  was  in  use.  He  was  acquainted  with  three  well- 
established  dates,  1497,  1590,  and  1692  A.  B.,  for  the  accession 
of  Udaya  III,  Parakrama  Pandu,  and  Parakramabahu  I. 
But  he  did  not  know  that  the  first  of  the  three  dates  was 
based  on  quite  a  different  era,  reckoned  from  483  B.C.  The 
interval  between  Udaya  III  and  Parakrama  Pandu  amounted, 
in  his  view,  to  ninety-three  years,  but  was  in  reality  only 
thirty-one  years  (1015-1046  A.  D.). 

Certainly,  considering  the  detail  in  which  the  events  of  the 
period  from  Udaya  III  to  Parakrama  Pandu  are  described  by 
the  Culavamsa,  it  is  difficult  to  say  at  what  point  we  should 
undertake  to  strike  out  the  surplus  of  sixty-two  years.  The 


1  See  WIJESINHA,  1. 1.,  p.  xxii. 

2  HULTZSCH,  South  Indian  Inscr.  ii,  no.  9,  pp.  90-93;  KlELHORN, 
Epigraphia  Indica,  vii,  p.  7 ;  Epigr.  Zeyl.  i,  p.  79. 


Introduction 

principal  part  must  perhaps  fall  within  the  reign  of  Mahinda  V 
and  the  interregnum  that  followed,  for  which  thirty-six  years 
and  twelve  years  are  set  down.  But  that  the  tradition  regard- 
ing the  period  in  question  is  not  well  established  is  easily  ex- 
plained by  the  unrest  and  confusion  which  prevailed  at  that 
time. 

§  7.    The  dates  of  Devanampiyatissa  and  Duttha- 
gamani. 

The  tradition  according  to  which  Asoka  was  consecrated 
king  218  years  after  the  Nirvana  certainly  arose  in  India. 
The  first  envoys  of  Buddhism  brought  it  to  Ceylon  with  them, 
and  here  A  CHRONOLOGICAL  CONNEXION  WAS  ESTABLISHED 

BETWEEN  THE  REIGN  OF  ASOKA  AND  THAT  OF  DEVANAM- 
PIYATISSA, under  whom  Buddhism  made  its  entry  into  Ceylon. 

That  Devanampiyatissa  and  Asoka  were  really  contempo- 
raries we  have  no  reason  to  doubt.  On  the  one  hand  the 
Ceylonese  tradition  concerning  the  missions  is  supported  by 
the  discoveries  in  the  Bhilsa-topes.  On  the  other  hand  we 
know  from  Asoka's  inscriptions  that  as  a  matter  of  fact  an 
eager  missionary-activity  prevailed  in  his  time. 

According  to  the  Dlpavamsa  DEVANAMPIYATISSA  was  con- 
secrated king  236  years  after  the  Buddha's  death,1  i.  e.  in  the 
237th  year.  According  to  the  Mah.  11.  40  the  consecrating 
of  Devanampiyatissa  took  place  on  the  first  day  of  the  bright 
half  of  the  ninth  month,  Maggasira  (October-November). 

Now  since,  according  to  Dip.  11.  14,  the  consecration  of 
Tissa  was  later  by  a  certain  number  of  years — I  shall  discuss 
the  passage  further  on — AND  six  MONTHS  later — than  the 
abhisekaof  Asoka,  this  latter  event  must  have  taken  place 

1  Dip.  17.  78  : 

dve  satani  ca  vassani  chattimsa  ca  samvacchare 
sambuddhe  parinibbute  abhisitto  Devanampiyo. 
Observe  that  the  formula  used  is  the  same  as  in  6.  1  for  dating  Asoka's 
abhiseka.  See  above,  p.xxiii.  The  date  236  is  also  to  be  found  in  the 
Nikaya-samgraha,  ed.  WICKREMASINGHE,  p.  103,  and  it  results  in  Dip. 
and  Mah.  as  the  sum  total  of  the  reigns  of  all  the  kings  from  Vijaya 
to  Devanampiyatissa. 


Introduction 

in  the  third  month  Jettha  (April— May),1  and  in  fact,  as  we 
know,  in  the  219th  year  after  the  Nirvana. 

According1  to  the  tradition  prevailing  in  Ceylon 2  the 
Buddha  died  on  the  full-moon  day  of  the  second  month  of 
the  year  Vesakha  (March- April),  according  to  our  reckoning : 
of  the  year  483  B.  c.  Thus  on  the  same  day  265  B.  c.  the  year 
218  A.B.  would  have  come  to  an  end.  A  month  later,  roughly 
speaking,  Asoka  would  be  consecrated.  In  the  month  Vesakha, 
247  B.C.  the  year  236  A.B.  came  to  an  end.  In  the  autumn 
of  the  same  year  the  first  coronation  of  Devanampiyatissa 
took  place.  A  second  coronation  3  of  this  king  was  celebrated 
in  the  following  Vesakha  (March- April),  246  B.C. 

But  there  are  certain  statements  which  are  not  in  agree- 
ment with  this  reckoning.  In  a  passage  in  the  Dip.4  it  is 
said  that  Mahinda  came  to  Ceylon  236  years  after  the 
Nirvana.  And  it  is  said  expressly  that  this  arrival  took  place 
on  the  full-moon  day  of  the  third  month  Jettha  (April-May).5 
But  a  new  Buddha-year  had  begun  in  the  preceding  month. 
Thus  if  Tissa's  first  consecration  falls  in  the  237th  year  A.B., 
then  Mahinda's  arrival  falls  in  the  238th,  that  is,  not  236 
but  237  years  had  elapsed  since  the  Nirvana. 

This  contradiction  was  discovered  by  FLEET  6  who  made  an 
ingenious  attempt  to  explain  it. 

The  full-moon  day  of  Vesakha  as  the  day  of  the  Buddha's 
death  is  open  to  doubt.  This  day  recurs  only  too  frequently 
in  the  Buddha's  life.  On  the  other  hand  FLEET  points  out 

1  On  the  names  of  the  months  in  the  Indian  calendar  see  our  transl., 
note  to  1.  12. 

8  Mah.  3.  2  ;  Buddhaghosa  in  Sum.  I.  610  and  Smp.  2833,  *.  Cf.  Dip. 
5.  1  foil,  for  the  same  results. 

3  Dip.  11.  39;  Mah.  11.42. 

4  Dip.  15.  71 : 

dve  vassasata  honti  chattimsa  ca  vassa  tafcha 
Mahindo  nama  namena  jotayissati  sasanam. 
6  Dip.  12.  44;  17.  88  (thirty  days  after  the  second  consecration  !) ; 
Mah.  13.  18.    At  Dip.  11.  40  read  tato  masam  atikkamma.     See 
OLDENBERG,  note  on  this  passage. 

•  'The  Day  on  which  Buddha  died.1  J.E.A.S.  1909,  p.  1  foil.; 
particularly  6,  11,  31. 


Introduction 

that  according  to  a  notice  in  Hiuen-thsang  the  sect  of  the 
Sarvastivadins  puts  the  date  of  the  Nirvana,  contrary  to  the 
usual  statement,  at  the  eighth  day  of  the  second  half  of 
the  eighth  month  of  the  year,  Kattika  (Sept. -Oct.).1  Follow- 
ing this  FLEET  reckons  the  day  of  the  Buddha's  death  as 
falling  on  October  13,  483  B.C. 

If  we  take  this  day  as  our  point  of  departure  the  above- 
mentioned  contradiction  disappears.  The  year  218  A.B.  came 
then  to  an  end  on  October  13,  265,  and  Asoka  was  not 
crowned  in  this  year,  but  in  the  year  264  B.C.  in  the  third 
month.2  The  year  236  A.B.  ends  on  October  13,  247  B.C., 
a  month  later  in  the  year  237  A.B.  Tissa  was  consecrated 
king ; 3  in  the  same  year,  five  months  later,  there  followed 
the  second  4  coronation,  and  yet  one  month  later  the  arrival  of 
Mahinda  in  Ceylon. 

We  have  then  the  following  dates  : — 

1.  October  13,  265,  end  of  the  year  218  A.B. 

2.  April  25,  264,  Asoka's  abhiseka. 

3.  October  13,  247,  end  of  the  year  236  A.B. 

4.  November  6,  247,  Tissa's  first  coronation. 

5.  April  16,  246,  Tissa's  second  coronation. 

6.  May  16,  246,  Mahinda  comes  to  Ceylon. 

But  here  I  must  point  out  a  difficulty  which  shows,  to  say 
the  least,  that  our  sources  are  not  always  exact  in  their 
calculation  of  time  supposing  we  do  not  accept  a  variation  by 
even  one  year.  The  death  of  Mutasiva,  and  therefore  also  the 
first  crowning  of  Devanampiyatissa,  we  find  transferred  to  the 
seventeenth  year  of  Asoka,  in  Snip.  321 l,  and,  as  it  appears, 
also  in  Dip.  11.  14.6 


1  See  BEAL,  Buddhist  Records  of  the  Western  World,   ii,  p.  33  ; 
STANISLAS  JULIEN,  Memoires,  i,  pp.  334-335. 

2  The  day,  according  to  FLEET,  is  April  25.    J.R.A.S.  1909,  pp.  26 
and  31. 

s  According  to  FLEET,  L  Z.,  p.  32,  on  November  6. 

4  According  to  FLEET,  1.  L,  on  April  16. 

8  The  phrasing  in  the  Smp.  Asokadhammarajassa  sattara- 
same  vasse  idha  Mutasivaraja  kalam  akasi  Devanampiya- 
tisso  raj  jam  papuni  is  not  at  all  ambiguous.  The  Dip.  expresses 

c 


Introduction 

But  now  even  if  we  set  out  from  April  25,  264  (not  265) 
B  c.  as  the  date  of  Asoka's  abhiseka,  the  seventeenth  year 
is  already  ended  on  the  same  day  of  247.  Then  Tissa's 
coronation,  as  the  dates  218  and  236  have  already  shown, 
falls,  without  any  doubt,  in  the  eighteenth  (not  seventeenth) 
year  of  Asoka. 

But  that  notice  in  the  Smp.  is  not  an  isolated  example. 
At  Mah.  20.  1  the  planting-  of  the  Bodhi-tree  in  Anura- 
dhapura  is  transferred  to  the  eighteenth  year  of  Asoka.  This, 
too,  does  not  agree  with  the  reckoning  elsewhere.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  that  event  falls  in  the  nineteenth 
year  of  Asoka.1  Naturally,  together  with  that  chronological 
statement,  other  dates  based  upon  it  and  given  by  the  Maha- 
vamsa  20.  2  foil,  are  shifted  also. 

It  suffices  to  point  out  these  discrepancies.  They  are  merely 
to  show  that  caution  is  after  all  not  out  of  place. 

2.  Further,  there  is  an  interesting  date  connected  with  the 
time  of  VATTAGA.MANI,  We  have,  namely,  according  to  Mah. 
33.  80-81,  an  interval  of  217  years  10  months  and  10  days 
between  the  founding  of  the  Mahavihara  by  Devanampiya- 
tissa  and  that  of  the  Abhayagiri-vihara  by  Vattagamani.2 

The  date  of  the  consecration  of  the  Mahavihara  can  be 
exactly  ascertained  by  the  Ceylon  chronology.  On  the  full- 
moon  day  of  the  month  Jettha  Mahinda  came  to  Ceylon.  This 
was,  according  to  FLEET'S  calculation/  May  16  (246  B.C.); 
A  day  later,  on  May  17,  Mahinda  came  to  the  capital  and 

itself  less  clearly;  however,  by  the  words  tamhi  sattarase  vasse 
chamase  ca  anagate  I  can  only  understand  that  there  were  six 
months  still  to  come  to  complete  the  seventeenth  year. 

1  We  can  hardly  use  the  passage  Dip.  12.  42-43  for  chronology. 
But  it  seems  to  give  the  correct  reckoning,  the  nineteenth  year  of 
Asoka,  for  Mahinda's  arrival  in  Ceylon. 

,  2  The  same  date,  possibly  taken  from  the  Mah.,  is  to  be  found  in 
the  Nik.  Samgr.,  p.  II16.  The  Mah.  Tika,  p.  115  (on  Mah.  5.  11-13), 
gives  as  the  date  of  the  schism  of  the  Dhammarucika  of  the  Abhaya- 
giri  the  round  number  of  217  years  after  the  founding  of  the  faith  in 
Ceylon. 

s  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p.  28.  For  the  following  cf.  Mah.  14.  42  ;  15. 
11,  24. 


Introduction 

spent  the  night  in  the  Mahameghavana.  This  the  king 
presented  to  Mahinda  and  his  companions  as  an  arilma  on  the 
following  day,  May  18,  246  B.C.  This  then  is  the  day  of 
the  founding  of  the  Mahavihara.  We  are  brought  then  to  the 
end  of  March  28  B.  c.  for  the  founding  of  the  Abhayagiri- 
vihara. 

I  now  believe  that  we  ought  to  attach  special  importance 
precisely  to  those  dates  which  state  generally  the  interval 
between  two  important  events.  The  date  number  218  in 
connexion  with  Vattagamani  was  also  known  in  later  times. 

It  is  implied  in  the  number  454  of  Vattagamani  in  the 
Galvihara-Inscription  of  Polonnaruwa.1  For  this  has  evidently 
arisen  from  the  addition  of  236  (the  date  of  Devanampiya- 
tissa)  to  218. 

Moreover,  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  statement  in 
Mah.  33.  78  foil,  that  the  founding  of  the  Abhayagiri-vihara 
took  place  in  the  second  half  of  the  reign  of  Vattagamani. 
Therefore  I  do  not  hesitate  to  place  the  beginning  of  this 
second  half  of  Vattaga manias  reign  at  the  end  of  the 
year  29  or  the  beginning  of  the  year  28  B.C. 

Of  course  this  leads  us  into  certain  difficulties  when  we  add 
up  the  figures  of  the  individual  reigns  between  Devanampiya- 
tissa  and  Vattagamani  according  to  the  readings  accepted  in 
my  edition.  From  these  figures  it  results  that  Vattagamani 
ascended  the  throne  for  the  second  time  in  the  year  39  B.C. 
We  have  then  a  difference,  in  round  numbers,  of  about 
ten  years. 

This  difficulty  disappears  if  we  read2  Mah.  21.  11,  with 
the  Singhalese  MSS.  (duve)  dvavisavassani,  not  with  the 
Burmese  duve  dvadasa  vassani,  to  give  thus  to  the  Damilas 
Sena  and  Guttika  twenty -two  and  not  twelve  years'  reign. 
To  be  sure  the  Dip.  (18.  47)  has  dvadasa  vassani,  which 
certainly  must  be  taken  into  account.  On  the  other  hand 
the  later  Ceylonese  literature  (Thupavamsa,  Pujavaliya,  Raja- 

1  ED.  MULLER,  Ancient  Inscriptions  of  Ceylon,  p.  87  (Sara  siya 
supaenaes  hawuruddak).     See  FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p.  330. 

2  In  my  edition  I  originally  accepted  the  former  reading,  however 
in  the  '  Corrections  '  (p.  368)  I  have  given  the  preference  to  dvadasa. 

c  2 


XXXVI 


Introduction 


valiya1)  only  gives  the  number  22.  In  any  case  at  the 
time  the  Thup.  was  composed,  according  to  it,  the  date  stood 
so  in  the  Mah. 

Naturally,  to  be  consequent,  we  must  also  read  Mah.  27.  6 
in  the  prophecy  concerning  Dutthagamani,  with  the  Sinhalese 
MSS.  cha  cattalisa  satam  '146'  or  cattalisa  satam 
'  140 '.  From  the  point  of  view  of  textual  criticism  the  latter 
reading  seems  to  me  to  be  the  safer ;  also  I  should  be  inclined 
to  believe  that  in  this  connexion  a  round  number  would  be 
more  appropriate. 

I  confess  that  I  only  brought  myself  unwillingly  to  depart 
from  the  reading  of  the  Burmese  MSS.  They  contain  else- 
where, without  doubt,  the  better  text.  Perhaps  we  must 
conclude  that,  in  regard  to  Sena  and  Guttika,  the  Burmese 
recension  adopted  the  reading  of  the  Dip.  and  that,  in 
accordance  with  this,'  in  Mah.  27.  6,  also  the  number  was 
altered  to  chattimsasatavassani  to  do  away  with  the 
mistake  thus  caused  in  the  addition  total. 

Taking  as  a  basis  the  date  483  B.  c.  we  can  provisionally 
draw  up  a  list  of  the  kings  according  to  Dip.  and  Mah.2 

§  8.    List  of  the  Ancient  Kings  of  Ceylon. 


No. 

Name 

Dip. 

Mah. 

Length  of  Reign 

Buddh. 
Era 
483  B.C. 

Christian 
Era 

Dip. 

Mah. 

Y.  M.  D. 

Y.  M.  D. 

1 

2 
8 

4 
5 

Viiaya  . 

9.42 
11.9 
10.5 
10.7 
11.11 
11.4 
11.5 
(17.78) 

7.74 
8.5 
9.25 
10.52 
10.105 
10.106 
11.4 

38  
1  —  — 
30  
20  
17  
70  
60  

38  

30  
20  
17  
70  
60  

1-38 
38-39 
39-69 
69-89 
89-106 
106-176 
176-236 

488-445 
445-444 
444-414 
414-394 
394-377 
377-307 
307-247 

Interregnum  . 
Panduvasudeva 
Abhaya    .     .     . 
Interregnum  . 
Pandukabhaya  . 
Mutasiva  .     .     . 

236  

236  

1  For  the  passages  see  Dip.  and  Mah.,  p.  120. 

1  See  FLEET'S  list,  J.E.A.S.  1909,  p.  350.  The  particular  aim  of  this  Introduction 
obliges  me,  on  my  side,  to  draw  up  a  table  to  enable  the  reader  of  the  translation  to 
take  a  rapid  survey. 


Introduction 


XXXVll 


No. 

Name 

Dip. 

Mah. 

Length  of  Reign 

Buddh. 
Era 
483  B.C. 

Christian 
Era 

Dip. 

Mah. 

Y.  M.  D. 

Y.  M.  D. 

6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 

14 
15 
16 
17 

18 

19 

20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
(19) 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 

33 
34 
35 

36 
37 
38 
39 

Devanampiyatissa. 
Uttiya       .     .     .     . 

17.92 
17.93 
18.45 
18.46 

18.47 

18.48 
1849 

18.54 
20.7 
20.8 
20.9 
20.12 
20.13 

20.14 
20.15-17 

20.19 
20.22 
20.24 
2025 

20.S6-30 

20.35 
21-30 
21.33 

21.37 
21.38 
21.40 
21.41 

20.28 
20.57 
21.1 
21.3 

21.11 

21.12 
21.14 

(27.6) 

32.35,  57 
33.4 
33.19 
33.28 
33.29 

33.37 
33.56-61 

33.102 
34.1 
34.13 
34.15 

34.18-27 

34.30 
34.37 
34.69 

35.1 
35.9 
35.12 
35.14 
35.27 

40  
10  
10  
10  

12  

10  
44  

40  
10  
10  
10  

22l  

10  
44  

236-276 
276-286 
286-296 
296-806 

306-328 

328-338 
338-382 

382-406 
406-424 
424 
424-433 
433-439 

439  2 
439-454 

454-466 
466-480 
480-492 
492-495 

495-499 

499-521 
521-549 
549-561 

561-571 
571-574 
574-575 
575 
575-578 

B.C. 

247-207 
207-197 
197-187 
187-177 

177-15o 

155-145 
145-101 

101-77 
77-59 
59 
59-50 
50-44 

44 
44-29 

29-17 
17-3 

3B.C.-9A.D. 
9A.D.-12A.D. 

A.  D. 

12  16 

16-38 
38-66 
66-78 

78-88 
88-91 
91-92 
92 
92-95 

Mahasiva  .... 
Suratissa  .... 
Sena    .    ) 
Guttika  \ 
Asela    

Elara    

Dutthagamani   .     . 
Saddhatissa  .     .     . 
Thulathana  .     .     . 
Lanjatissa     .     .     . 
Khali  atanaga     .     . 
(Maharattaka)    . 

Vattagamani      .     . 
Five  Damilas     . 
Pulahattha  (3  y.) 
Bahiya  (2  y.)   .     . 
Panayamava  (7y.) 
Pilayamava  (7  m.) 
Da'thika  (2  y.)  .     . 
Vattagamani      .     . 
MahacullMahatissa 
Coranaga  .... 
Tissa 

136  — 

U6  

24  
18  
—     1  10 
96  — 
6  
1 

24  
18  
—     1  10 

9  —  15 
g  

57     7  11 

57     1  25 

—    5  — 
14     7  — 

12  
14  
12  
3  
1     2  — 
12  — 
11  — 
—    3  — 
—    4  — 

14     7  — 

12  
14  
12  
3  
12—) 
12  — 
1     1  — 
—    6  — 
—    4  __' 

Siva      .     .     .     .   % 
Vatuka      .     .     . 
Dai-ubhatikatissa  \ 
Niliya  .... 
Anula  

Kutakannatissa  . 
Bhatikabhaya    . 
Mahadathikamaha 
_  -naga      .     .     . 
Amandagamani 
Kanirajanutissa 
Culabhaya     .     . 
Slvali   ... 
Interregnum  . 

60  

60    3  — 

22  
28  
12  

98  — 
3  
1   
—     4  — 

22  
28  
12  

98  — 
3  
1  

^  

3  

1  According  to  the  Burmese  MSS.  only  12  years.     See  p.  xxxv. 

2  See  the  same  figure  Nik.  samgr.  1014. 


XXXV11L 


Introduction 


Length  of  Eeign 

Buddh. 

Name 

Dip. 

Mah. 

Dip. 

Mah. 

Era 
483  B.  c. 

Christian 
Era 

Y.  M.  D. 

Y.  M.  D. 

Ijanaga     .... 

21.43 

35.45 

6  

Q    

578-584 

95-101 

Candamukhasiva  . 

21.45 

35.46 

87  — 

87  — 

584-593 

101-110 

Yasalalakatissa  .     . 

21.46 

35.50 

87  — 

78  — 

593-601 

110-118 

Subharaja     .     .     . 

21.48 

35.56 

6  

6  

601-607 

118-124 

Vasabha   .... 

22.11 

35.100 

44  

44  

607-651 

124-168 

Vaiikanasikatissa  . 

22.12,27 

35.112 

3  

3  

651-654 

168-171' 

Gajabahukagamani 

22.14,  28 

35115 

22  

22  

654-676 

171-193 

Mahallanaga      .  *. 

22.17,  29 

35.123 

6  

g  

676-682 

193-199 

180     2  — 

182    3  — 

Bhatikatissa  . 

22.22,  30 

36.1 

24  

24  

682-706 

199-223 

Kanitthatissa 

22.25,  31 

36.6 

18  

18  

706-724 

223-241 

Khujjanaga  . 

22.32 

36.18 

2  

2  

724-726 

241-243 

Kuficanaga    . 

22.33 

36.19 

1  

1  

726-727 

243-244 

Sirinaga  I 

22.36 

36.23 

19  

19  

727-746 

244-263 

Voharikatissa  l 

22.45 

36.27 

22  

22  

746-768 

263-285 

Abhayanaga  l 

22.38 

36.51 

22  

g  

768-776 

285-293 

Sirinaga  II    . 

22.46 

36.54 

2  

2  

776-778 

293-295 

Vijayakumara 

22.51 

36.57 

1  

1  

778-779 

295-296 

Samghatissa  . 

22.52 

36.64 

4  

4  

779-783 

296-300 

Samghabodhi 

22.53 

36.73 

2  

2  

783-785 

300-302 

Gothakabhaya 

22.60 

36.98 

13  

13  

785-798 

302-315 

Jetthatissa     . 

22.65 

36.132 

10  

10  

798-808 

315-325 

Mahasena.     . 

22.66 

37.1 

27  

27  

808-835 

325-352 

167  

153  

Total  sum    .    . 

836    9  11 

834     7  25 

No. 


40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 


48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 


Of  course  the  dates  set  down  can  only  be  regarded  as 
having  an  approximate  value.  For  the  Chronicles,  mostly, 
give  the  reign  of  each  individual  king  rounded  off  in  whole 
years.  Rajavali  and  Pujavali  reckon  the  sum  total  at  844 
years,  9  months  25  days,  the  Nikayasamgraha  reckons  the 
time  up  to  Mahasena's  accession  at  818,  and  thus  the  time 
up  to  his  death  at  845  years.2 

1  The  Dip.  places  Abhayanaga  before  Voharikatissa.     This  appears 
to  be  the  cause  of  the  mistake  in  the  figures.     The  same  length  of 
reign  is  ascribed  to  Voharikatissa  as  to  his  predecessor,  who  is  really 
his  successor.     According  to  Nik.  samgr.  129  Voharikatissa  ascended 
the  throne  752  years,  4  months  10  days  after  the  Buddha's  death. 

2  Rajavali,  ed.  B.  GUNASEKARA,  p.  4222 ;  Pujav.,  ed.  idem,  p.  23SO ; 
Nik.  S.,  ed.  WICKHEMASINGHE,  p.  14l°. 


Introduction 

From  Devanampiyatissa  to  Mahasena's  death  609  years 
elapsed,  according  to  the  later  sources.1  But  this  only  proves 
that  the  accession  of  the  former  should  be  dated  236  A.B. 
(609  +  236  =  845),  but  naturally  nothing  can  be  deduced  from 
this  statement  to  aid  us  in  dating  the  Nirvana  itself. 

I  will  now  supplement  my  list  with  the  names  and  dates 
of  the  immediate  successors  of  Mahasena  : — 2 

62.  Siri-Meghavanna  27  years  352-379  A.  D. 

63.  Jetthatissa  9    „  379-388     „ 

64.  Buddhadasa  28     „  388-416     „ 

65.  Upatissa  42     „  416-458     „ 

66.  Mahanama  22     ,,  458-480     „ 
67-  ( Sotthisena  to )  oq  ,  r,n  ^ AQ 

75.  jPithiya  W     » 

76.  Dhatusena  18     „          509-527     ,, 

77.  Kassapa  17    „          527-544    „ 

For  this  later  period  we  now  have  an  interesting  Indian- 
Ceylonese  synchronism  which  appears  to  confirm  the  reckon- 
ing having  as  point  of  departure  483  B.C. 

SYLVAIN  LEVIS  has  communicated  the  following  passage 
from  the  account  of  the  Chinese  Wang  Hiuen  ts'e.  The 
king  of  Cheu-tzeu  (i.  e.  Ceylon),  by  name  Chi-mi-kia-po-mo 
(i.  e.  Sri-Meghavarman  *),  sent  two  bhiksus  to  India  to  the 
monastery  erected  by  Asoka  near  the  sacred  tree  of  the 
Buddha  in  Bodh  Gay  a.  They  found  no  lodging  here  and 
subsequently  told  their  king.  He  sent  an  embassy  to  the 
king  then  ruling  over  India,  San-meou-to-lo-kiu-to  (i.  e.  Samu- 
dragupta),  and  sought  permission  to  build  on  the  sacred  spot 
a  monastery  for  Ceylonese  pilgrims.  Thus  the  synchronism 
of  king  Siri-Meghavanna,  the  successor  of  Mahasena,  with 
Samudragupta  is  confirmed.  The  latter,  according  to 

1  See  Epigr.  Zeyl.  i,  p.  143. 

2  Cf.  Culav.  37.  99, 104, 178, 208,  247  (according  to  the  numbering  of 
the  Colombo  edition  of  1877:  Mah.  37.  49,  54,  128,  158,  197);  38.  1, 
112  ;  39.  58.  As  to  numbers  62,  64,  77,  it  is  said  that  they  died  in  the 
twenty-eighth  (or  twenty-ninth  or  eighteenth)  year.     So  it  is  possible 
that  the  dates  have  again  been  made  later  by  one  year. 

3  Journ.  As.  1900,  pp.  316  foil.,  401  foil. 

4  The  form  of  this  name,  as  given  by  the  Chinese  narrator,  results 
from  a  confusion  between  varna  and  varman. 


xl  Introduction 

V.  SMITH,1  reigned  from  326  to  (about)  375,  the  former, 
according  to  our  reckoning1,  from  483  as  the  year  of  the 
Nirvana  352-379  A.D. 

According  to  Chinese  sources  2  another  embassy  came  from 
Ceylon  to  China,  sent  by  king  Kia-che,  i.  e.  Kasyapa,  in  the 
year  527  A.  D.  Evidently  this  is  a  reference  to  Kassapa  I  whose 
reign,  according  to  my  list,  did  in  fact  begin  about  527. 

§  9.    The  Indian  Kings  from  Bimbisara  to  Asoka. 

In  the  table  on  the  next  page  I  have  brought  together 
the  names  of  the  kings  from  Bimbisara,  the  contemporary  of 
the  Buddha,  to  Asoka,  according  to  the  Ceylonese,  the 
Burmese,  the  Nepalese,  and  the  Jaina  tradition.  On  this  I  will 
first  make  the  following  observations. 

The  BURMESE  TRADITION  3  is  undoubtedly  dependent  on  the 
CEYLONESE,  as  represented  by  Dip.  and  Mah.  Buddhaghosa  4 
is  also  in  complete  agreement  with  the  Mah.  He  certainly 
ascribes  a  reign  of  eighteen  instead  of  eight  years  to  Anuruddha 
and  Munda,  but  the  sum  total  of  the  reigns  of  all  the  kings 
reckoned  up  by  him  at  the  conclusion  is  only  correct  if  we 
alter  that  eighteen  to  eight. 

The  NEPALESE  list  of  the  Asoka vadana5  comes  perhaps 
midway  between  the  Ceylonese  and  the  Jaina  tradition.  It 
is  specially  remarkable  that  in  this  too  appears  the  name  of 

1  Early  History  of  India,  p.  266  foil.  (of.  Ind.  Ant.  1902,  p.  257). 
See  also  FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p,  343. 

2  SYLVAIN  LE.VI,  I  I.,  p.  42:3  foil.    Cf.  now  also  E.  R.  AYRTON, 
J.R.A.S.  1911,  p.  1142,  on  a  new  fact  which  speaks  in  favour  of  the 
reckoning   from  483  B.C.     On  the  other  hand  a  difficulty  presents 
itself  with  respect  to  the  embassy  of  Mo4io-nan  (i.  e.  Mahanama)  to 
China  in  the  year  428  A.D.  (SYLV.  LEVI,  pp.  412,  421).    At  the  time 
there  reigned    in   Ceylon    not   Mahanama    but    his    elder  brother 
Upatissa  II.    The  former  did  not  ascend  the  throne  till  458  A.D. 

3  See   on   this   BIGAFDET,  The  Life   or  Legend  of  Gaudama   the 
Buddha  (1866),  pp.  347,  361-363,  371-372,  374-375. 

4  Smp.  32 13  foil.     Cf.  also  Sum.  15322  foil.,  where  the  kings  from 
Bimbisara  to  Nagadasa  are  enumerated. 

6  Cf.  BURNOUF,  Introduction  a  Vhistoire  du  Bouddhisme  Indien, 
pp.  358-359,  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  name  of  Candragupta  is 
missing. 


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xlii  Introduction 

Munda  whom  the  Jainas  do  not  know  but  who  is  mentioned 
in  the  Ahguttara-Nikaya.1  Thus  the  Ceylonese  tradition  is 
in  this  point  confirmed  by  the  Northern  tradition. 

The  JAINA  list  is  based  on  the  Parisistaparvan  of  Hema- 
candra.2  It  is,  I  think,  generally  admitted  3  that  in  this  list 
Srenika  and  Kunika  correspond  to  the  Bimbisara  and  Ajata- 
sattu  of  the  Pali  sources.  On  the  other  hand  the  names  from 
Anuruddha-Munda  downwards  to  the  Nandas  are  missing-. 
But  among  these  names  those  of  both  Munda  and  Kalasoka  are 
well  established  by  other  testimony,  as  we  shall  see  presently. 

The  PURANIC  list  has  the  series  Bimbisara-Ajatasatru- 
Udayin  ( =  Udayabhadda)  in  common  with  the  Ceylonese. 
But  the  Puranas  insert  yet  another  king  before  the  last- 
named,  and  the  Ceylonese  Chronicles  place  those  three  kings 
at  the  head  of  the  whole  list;  the  Puranas  range  the 
corresponding  four  kings  in  the  second  half  of  the  list. 
Moreover,  I  cannot  say  that  the  Purana  list  inspires  me 
with  much  confidence.  The  tradition  as  to  individual  names 
is  very  unstable  in  the  different  Puranas.  The  same  is  the 
case  with  the  dates  of  the  individual  reigns,  although  the 
totals  agree  fairly  well.4 

The  question  then  arises :  which  list  merits  the  most 
confidence,  the  Ceylonese,  the  Jaina,  or  that  of  the  Puranas  ? 
JACOBI  5  is  disposed  to  give  the  preference  to  the  Jaina  list. 
He  adheres  to  the  view  that  Kalasoka,  'the  black  Asoka/ 
and  Kakavarnin  (Kakavarna),  'the  crow-coloured/  are  one 
and  the  same  person.  That  is  certainly  correct  and  is  con- 
firmed by  the  fact  that  Kalasoka  in  the  Pali  sources  is  named 

1  A.  III.  5723  foil.    OLDENBERG  has  already,  Z.D.M.G.  34  (1880), 
p.  752,  stated  this  fact. 

2  Ed.  JACOBI  (Bibl  Ind.},  I.  22  foil. ;  VI.  22  foil.,  231  foil.  ;  VIII.  1 
foil.,  297  foil. ;  IX.  14  foil. 

8  JACOBI,  The  Kalpasutra  of  Bhadrabdhu  (Abhandl.  fur  die  Kunde 
des  Morgenl.  vii.  1),  Introduction,  p.  2.  The  combination  Srenika 
=  Bimbisara  occurs  ROCKHILL,  Life  of  Buddha  (1907),  p.  67. 

4  See  MABEL  DUFF,  The  Chronology  of  India,  Table  to  p.  322. 

5  The  Kalpasutra,  Introd.  ;   also  Z.  D.  M.  G.  34,  pp.  185-186.     Cf. 
OLDENBERG,  Z.  D.  M.  G.  34,  p.  750  foil. ;  and  further,  JACOBI,  Z.  D.  M.  G. 
35,  p.  667  foil. 


Introduction  xliii 

as  the  successor  of  Susunaga  and  Kakavarna  in  the  Puranas 
as  the  successor  of  Sisunaga.1  Here  at  least  the  Southern 
and  the  Northern  tradition  are  in  agreement. 

JACOBI  moreover  believes  Kakavarnin  =  Kalasoka  to  be 
identical  with  the  Udayin  of  the  Jaina  tradition,  the  Udaya- 
bhadda  2  of  the  Southern  Buddhist  sources.  The  ground  for 
his  belief  is  that  it  is  said  of  both  Udayin  and  Kalasoka  that 
they  removed  the  royal  residence  from  Rajagrha  to  Patali- 
putra.  He  believes  that  the  Ceylonese  tradition  has  made 
two  kings  out  of  one  person,  has  inserted  various  new  kings 
between  them  and  has  thus  artificially  filled  up  the  gap 
of  100  years  which,  according  to  the  Ceylonese  view,  had 
elapsed  between  the  Nirvana  and  the  Second  Council.  The  list 
of  kings  as  finally  drawn  up  by  JACOBI  is  this  : — 

Bimbisara  (orenika). 

Ajatasatru  (Kunika). 

Munda  (  =  Darsaka,  Harsaka,  &c.). 

Udayin  (Kalasoka,  Kakavarnin). 

Nanda  dynasty. 

I  confess  that,  in  agreement  with  OLDENBERG,3  I  do  not 
feel  convinced  by  JACOBI'S  grounds  for  identifying  Kalasoka 
with  Udayin.  The  removal  of  the  residence  from  Rajagrha 
to  Pataliputra  is  attributed  to  Udayin  by  the  Jainas,4  and  by 
the  Brahmans  (in  the  Puranas),  to  Kalasoka  in  the  Burmese 
tradition  5  which,  beyond  a  doubt,  comes  from  Ceylon.  Hiuen- 
thsang  attributes  it  to  king  Asoka  whose  lifetime  he  places 
a  hundred  years  after  the  Nirvana.  He  does  in  fact  know 
only  ONE  Asoka  whom  he  names  Wu-yau,  or,  as  rendered  once 
phonetically,  'O-shu-kia.6  But  to  all  appearance  he  combined 

1  The  identification  of  Kalasoka  with  Kakavarna  has  not  been  taken 
into  account  by  V.  A.  SMITH  (J.R.A.S.  1901,  p.  839  foil.),  who  com- 
pletely denies  the  existence  of  Kalasoka. 

2  The    name    is   written    Udayibhadda,   Mah.   4.    1,   2   in    the 
Sinhalese  MSS.     The  same  in  D.  I.  5025  foil. 

3  Z.D.M.  £.34,  p.  751  foil. 

4  Parisistaparvan,  VI.  33  foil.,  175  foil. 

5  See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist  Suttas  (S.  B.  E.  xi),  Introd.,  p.  xiii. 

6  BEAL,  Buddhist  Records,  ii,  p.  85  foil. ;  ST.  JULIEN,  Memoires,  i, 
p.  414  foil. 


Introduction 

two  different  kings  in  one  person.  For  if  he  attributes  the 
founding  of  Pataliputra  to  an  Asoka,  this  cannot  possibly  fit 
in  with  the  historical  Dharmasoka  of  the  third  century  B.C. 
For  we  know  that  Pataliputra  was  already,  under  Candra- 
gupta,  the  capital  of  the  country.  Thus  when  Hiuen-thsang 
says  that  'O-shu-kia l  or  Wu-yau  founded  the  city  of  Patali- 
putra he  repeated  a  tradition  which  originally  referred  not  to 
the  Asoka  of  the  third  century  but  to  an  earlier  king,  who 
must  have  lived  before  Candragupta. 

I  shall  return  once  more  to  this  subject.  Here  I  will  only 
observe  that  Hiuen-thsang,  in  any  case  with  respect  to  the 
removal  of  the  royal  residence,  is  against  the  tradition  of  the 
Jainas  and  nearer  to  the  Burmese.  We  can  say  then  that 
the  removal  is  attributed  by  the  Jainas  and  Brahmans  to 
Udayin,  by  the  Buddhists  to  Kalasoka. 

Is  really  the  only  solution  to  conclude  that  the  two  names 
were  one  and  the  same  person  ?  May  it  not  be  conjectured 
with  equal  or  yet  more  probability  that  we  have  here  simply 
a  difference  in  the  tradition  among  the  Jainas  and  Brahmans 
on  the  one  hand  and  the  Buddhists  on  the  other?  Besides 
even  in  the  Brahmanic  tradition  Kakavarna  =  Kalasoka  and 
Udayin  are  again  two  different  personages.  Here  then  the 
same  duplication  must  have  occurred  as  in  the  Southern 
Buddhist  tradition.  It  becomes  therefore  the  more  difficult 
to  accept  JACOBI'S  hypothesis.  It  seems  greatly  preferable  to 
conclude  that  the  Jaina  list  is  defective.  In  this  list  Munda 
too  is  missing,  who  seems  to  be  sufficiently  established  by  the 
Asokavadana  and  the  mention  in  the  Ariguttara-Nikaya. 

If  finally  the  choice  lies  between  the  list  of  the  Puranas  and 
that  of  the  Ceylonese  Chronicles,  which  seems  to  be  more 
probable  and  trustworthy,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  give  the 
preference  wholly  and  unreservedly  to  the  latter. 

In  the  Puranas,  Nandivardhana  and   Mahanandin 2  must 

1  The  former  in  BEAL,  p.  90,  the  latter  p.  85.   Both  names  are  thus 
used  indifferently  in  connexion  with  the  same  event.     This  proves 
that  we  ought  not  to   conclude,  with    OLDENBERG  (Vin.  Pit.   i, 
Introd.,  p.  xxxiii,  n.  1),  that  the  two  names  represent  a  remembrance 
of  two  different  Asokas. 

2  It  seems  that  Nandivardhana  is  to  represent  the  ten  sons  of  Kala- 


Introduction  xlv 

fill  up  some  gap  or  other  in  the  chronology.  The  reigns  of 
these  two  together  are  put  down  at  eighty-five  years !  But 
no  deeds  whatever  are  recorded.1 

Again,  in  the  Puranas  yet  another  king,  called  Darsaka,  &c., 
is  inserted  between  Ajatasatru  and  Udayin.  That  is  certainly 
an  error.  The  Pali  canon  indubitably  asserts,2  that  Udayi- 
bhadda  was  the  son  of  Ajatasattu  and  probably  also  his 
successor.  Otherwise  the  reign  of  the  father  and  son  would 
extend  over  eighty-three  years. 

Moreover  that  the  two  generations  of  the  Nanda,  namely 
Mahapadma  and  his  eight  sons,  together  reigned  for  a  century 
is  a  statement  that  does  not  bear  the  stamp  of  probability. 

The  chief  difference  between  the  Puranas  and  the  Ceylonese 
sources  lies  in  the  place  taken  by  Kalasoka  (Kakavarna)  and 
his  father.  In  the  former  they  are  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
whole  dynasty,  in  the  latter  they  are  ranged  after  Bimbisara 
and  Ajatasattu  and  their  immediate  successors.  Thus,  before 
all,  the  question  is  which  of  the  two  traditions  we  decide  to 
accept  and  whether  any  reasons  can  be  adduced  for  our 
decision. 

Now  we  see  that  the  tradition  of  Ceylon  in  its  details 
always  finds  support  from  without.  Its  greater  fullness  of 
detail,  generally  speaking,  as  against  the  Jaina  list  finds 
a  parallel  in  the  Puranas.3  In  this  respect  the  Southern 
Buddhist  and  Brahmanic  traditions  support  each  other. 

In  all  forms  the  tradition  as  to  the  series  is  well  estab- 
lished: nineNandas — Candragupta — Bindusara — Asoka.  The 
succession  Bimbisara — Ajatasattu — Udayabhadda  is  confirmed 
by  the  Jaina  list  and  the  Asokavadana.  Munda,  entirely 
absent  from  the  Jaina  list  and  the  Puranas,  is  named  in  the 


soka.  At  least  the  Mahdbodhivamsa  (ed.  STRONG,  p.  98)  includes  a 
prince  of  this  name  among  them.  Mahanandin  looks  like  a  duplicate 
of  Nandivardhana. 

1  Even  V.  A.  SMITH,  Early  Histot-y  of  India,  p.  36,  has  to  admit  that 
they  are  mere  '  nominis  umbrae  '. 

2  In  the  Sdmannaphala-suUanta,  D.  I.  5025  foil.     The  same  accord- 
ing to  the  Tibetan  tradition.   ROCKHILL,  Life  of  Buddha  (1907),  p.  91. 

3  Also  in  Tibetan  sources.     See  note  to  the  Table. 


xlvi 


Introduction 


Buddhistic  canon  and  in  the  Asokavadana.  And  in  the  same 
way  the  Asokavadana  puts  Kakavarnin  AFTER  Udayin  and 
Munda  as  the  Ceylon  Chronicles  place  their  Kalasoka,  not 
BEFORE  them  as  the  Puranas  place  their  Kakavarna. 

Thus  the  greater  probability  seems  to  be  in  favour  of  placing 
Kakavarna  and  with  him  naturally  his  father  Sisunaga  in 
the  second  half  of  the  series  of  kings,  not  in  the  first. 

I  believe  then  that  with  respect  also  to  the  series  of  Indian 
kings  before  Asoka,  the  Ceylonese  tradition  is  more  valuable 
than  that  of  the  Brahmans  and  Jainas.  The  last-named  is 
certainly  defective.  But  as  to  the  Puranas  I  am  compelled 
to  think  that  when  the  dynasty  before  Candragupta  had  once 
received  the  name  6aisunaga,  then  in  order  to  exalt  its  great- 
ness and  antiquity,  the  eponymos  and  his  immediate  successors, 
including  Bimbisara  and  his  successors,  were  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  whole  series  of  kings.  This  would  end  in  a 
reversal  in  the  order  of  the  first  and  second  half. 

At  the  present  time  greater  stress  is  laid,  and  with  justice, 
on  the  importance  of  research  in  Northern  Buddhism.1  It  is 
most  important  for  the  understanding  of  the  development  of 
Buddhism.  Still  I  believe  that  if  we  wish  to  learn  the  origins 
of  Buddhism,  and  especially  the  history  of  those  origins,  we 
shall  have  to  draw  chiefly  upon  the  Pali  sources. 

The  dates  of  the  Indian  kings  according  to  the  Southern 
Buddhist  tradition  are  the  following  :— 

(1)  Bimbisara2 

2.  Ajatasattu 

3.  Udayabhadda 

4.  Anuruddha) 

5.  Munda         j 
tf.  Nagadasaka 

7.  Susunaga 

8.  Kalasoka 

9.  Ten  sons  of  Kalasoka 

11.  Nine  Nandas 

12.  Candagutta 

13.  Bindusara 

14.  Asoka  (a)  before  and 
(b) after  the  abhiseka 

1  Cf.  e.  g.  WALLESER,  Z.D.M.  G.  1910,  p.  238,  in  a  discussion  of 
DE  LA  VALLEE  POUSSIN'S  Bouddhisme. 

*  As   to   the   chronological   relation   between   Bimbisara  and  the 


B.B 

60—  B.B 

.  8 

B.C.  543—  B.C 

491 

8  -A.B 

.24 

„  491— 

99 

459 

A.B.  24—  A.B 

.40 

„  459— 

9  J 

443 

9  9 

40-  „ 

48 

1  „  443- 

>9 

435 

48-  „ 

72 

„  435- 

411 

99 

72—  „ 

90 

„  411- 

V 

393 

" 

90-  , 

118 

„  393- 

365 

118—  , 

140 

„  365- 

J9 

343 

99 

140-  , 

162 

„  343— 

321 

99 

162-  , 

186 

„  321- 

M 

297 

186-  , 

214 

„  297- 

)9 

269 

214-  , 

219 

„  269- 

)J 

264 

219-  , 

256 

„  264- 

5) 

227 

Introduction 

§  10.    The  Acariyaparampara  and  Indian-Ceylonese 
synchronisms. 

In  the  chronological  system  on  which  the  Dip.  and  Mah. 
are  based  the  succession  of  the  great  teachers  from  Upali 
down  ta  Mahinda  plays  an  important  part.  This  acariya- 
parampara  is  of  interest  because  in  it  there  is  a  continuous 
synchronological  connexion  between  the  history  of  Ceylon 
and  that  of  India.  Here  the  system  appears  carried  out  in 
detail  and  completed.1 

Of  course  the  dates  must  not  be  considered  altogether 
authentic.  Besides,  for  the  most  part  they  fall  within  the 
most  uncertain  period  of  Indian-Ceylonese  history,  before  the 
accession  of  Devanampiyatissa.  They  only  show  how  in 
Ceylon  the  several  names  and  events  of  tradition  were  fitted 
into  the  framework  of  the  few  well-established  leading  dates. 

It  seems  doubtful  too  that  the  theras  mentioned,  with  the 
exception  of  Upali  and  Moggaliputtatissa,  were  Vinaya- 
pamokkha  if  indeed  this  should  be  taken  to  mean  one 
having  recognized  authority  in  the  Church. 

Sonaka  did  not  even  take  part  in  the  Second  Council  which 
took  place  in  his  time.  The  leading  personages  in  this  were 
Revata,  Sabbakami,  Sambhuta  Sanavasi  and  Yasa.  Evidently 
it  was  only  a  question  of  proving  that  the  '  Succession  of 
Teachers'  of  Mahinda  could  be  traced  back  to  Upali,  the 
great  authority  in  the  Vinaya  at  the  time  of  the  Buddha. 

The  list  is  as  follows  : — 

Buddha  more  precise  statements  are  furnished  by  Dip.  3.  56  foil,  and 
Mah.  2. 28  foil.  According  to  these  the  two  met  for  the  first  time  when 
the  Buddha  was  thirty-five  and  Bimbisara  thirty  years  of  age,  i.e. 
528  B.C.  This  was  the  year  15  of  Bimbisara's  reign.  After  that  Bim- 
bisara reigned  yet  another  thirty-seven  years  (till  491 B.  c.).  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Ajatasattu.  Eight  years  after  his  accession  the  Buddha  died. 
1  See  NORMAN,  J.E.A.S.  1908,  pp.  5-6.  The  list  of  the  patriarchs 
according  to  the  Northern  tradition  is  quite  different.  In  this  the 
succession  is :  (1)  Kasyapa,  who  presided  over  the  First  Council : 
(2)  Ananda ;  (3)  Sanakavasa ;  (4)  Upagupta,  the  president  of  the 
Second  Council ;  (5)  Daitika  or  Dhitika  ;  (6)  Kala,  who  was  principally 
concerned  in  the  conversion  of  Ceylon.  See  BEAL,  'Succession  of 
Buddhist  Patriarchs1  (Ind.  Ant.  ix,  1880,  p.  148  foil..). 


xlviii  Introduction 

1.  UPALi.1    (a)  At  the  time  of  the  Buddha's  death  (483  B.  c.) 
he  had  completed  forty-four  years  from  his  upasampada. 
So  we  should  have  for  this  last  the  date  527  B.C.     Buddha's 
death,  according  to  tradition,  coincides  in  time  with  the  coming 
of  Vijaya  to   Ceylon  and  with  the  8th  year  of  Ajatasattu. 
Vijaya  dies  in  the  14th  year  of  Udayabhadda,  i.e.  446  B.C.,  in 
the  16th  year  of  the  same  king,  i.e.  444  B.C.,  Panduvasudeva 
is  crowned  king  in  Ceylon.2 

(b)  Upali  after  the  Buddha's  death  becomes  Chief  of  the 
Vinaya  and  remains  so  for  thirty  years.  The  sum  total  of 
his  years,  reckoned  from  the  upasampada,  amounts  to 
seventy-four.  He  dies  therefore  453  B.C.  after,  as  Dip.  4.  38 
says,  Udaya  had  reigned  six  years. 

2.  DASAKA.3   (a)  He  is  ordained  by  Upali,  when  the  latter 
has  completed  sixty  years  of  his  priesthood,  or  sixteen  years 
after  the  Buddha's  death,  i.e.  467  B.C.     This  agrees  with  the 
statement  that  it  happened  in  the  year  24  of  Ajatasattu  and  in 
the  year  16  of  Vijaya.    According  to  Mah.  5.  106  he  was  then 
twelve  years  old,  thus  the  year  of  his  birth  was  479  B.  c. 

(3)  Dasaka  is  (after  Upali)  for  fifty  years  Chief  of  the 
Vinaya,  i.  e.  he  dies  403  B.  c.,  or  according  to  the  Dip.,  in  the 
year  8  of  Susunaga.  In  Ceylon  meanwhile  (Dip.  11.  10) 
Panduvasudeva  has  died  in  the  year  21  of  Nagadasaka,  i.e. 
414  B.  c.,  and  Abhaya  has  been  crowned  king. 

3.  SoNAKA.4    (a)  He  is  ordained  a  priest  by  Dasaka  when 
the  latter  has  completed  forty-five  years  from  his  upasam- 
pada, therefore  422  B.C.     Thus  according  to   Dip.  4.   41. 
But  according  to  Dip.  5.  78  Dasaka  had  only  been  forty  years 
a  priest  when  Sonaka  was  ordained  by  him.    This  brings  us  to 
427  B.  c.     Here  therefore  the  tradition  is  uncertain.     It  also 
points  to  the  year  10  of  Nagadasa  or  the  year  20  of  Panduva- 
sudeva as  the  year  of  Sonaka's  ordination,  i.  e.  425  or  424  B.C. 

1  Dip.  4.  34,  38  ;  5.  76,  95,  103. 

2  Dip.  11.  8.     The  number  of  years  of  Vijaya's  reign  (38)  brings  us 
to  445  as  the  year  of  his  death.     The  length  of  the  interregnum  is 
given  Dip.  11.  9,  Mah.  8.  5,  as  one  year. 

3  Dip.  4.  27-28,  43;  5.  91,  95,  96,  98,  104. 

4  Dip.  4.  41 ;  5.  78,  79,  92,  95,  96,  99,  105. 


Introduction 

(b)  Sonaka  is  Chief  of  the  Vinaya  for  forty-four  years  and  a 
priest  for  sixty-six  years.  Since  Dasaka  died  403  B.  c.  Sonaka's 
death  would  fall  in  359  B.  c.  This  would  bring  us  again  to  425 
as  the  year  of  ordination.  The  statement  that  Sonaka  died 
in  the  year  6  of  the  reign  of  Asoka's  sons  points  also  to 
359  B.C.  as  the  year  of  his  death.  The  most  probable  date  of 
Sonaka's  ordination  is,  however,  423  or  422  B.C.,  as  we  shall 
see  from  Siggava's  chronology.  According  to  Mah.  5.  115 
Sonaka  was  fifteen  years  old  when  he  met  Dasaka.  He  was 
therefore  born  in  438  or  437  B.C.  In  Ceylon 1  the  year  11  of 
the  interregnum  between  Abhaya  and  Pandukabhaya  corre- 
sponds to  the  year  10  of  Kalasoka  (=383  B.C.)  and  the  year 
58  of  Pandukabhaya  to  the  year  2  of  Candagutta  (=319  B.C.). 

4.  SIGGAVA  .2    (a)   Sonaka  confers  ordination  on   Siggava 
forty  years  after  his   own   upasampada.      At    that    time 
Kalasoka  had  reigned  ten  years  and  half  a  month.     In  Ceylon 
eleven  and  a  half  years  of  the  interregnum  after  Abhaya  had 
elapsed.     Thus  we  come  to  the  year  383  (or  382)  B.  c.  and  to 
the  year  423  (or  422)  as  the  year  of  Sonaka's  upasampada. 

(b)  Siggava  is  a  priest  for  seventy-six  years  and  dies  in  the 
year  14  of  Candagutta.  This  coincides  with  the  year  307  B.  c. 
There  must  be  an  error  in  the  statement  that  he  was  head  of 
the  Church  for  fifty-five  years.  Since  Sonaka's  death  may  be 
reckoned  with  all  probability  as  occurring  in  the  year  359, 
Siggava,  if  he  died  in  307,  can  only  have  held  this  office  fifty- 
two  years. 

The  year  of  Siggava's  birth,  since  he  was  eighteen  years 
old  at  the  time  of  his  meeting  with  Sonaka  (Mah.  5.  120), 
falls  in  the  year  401  B.C. 

5.  (a)  MoGGALiPUTTATissA.3    He  is   ordained  by   Siggava 
sixty-four  years  after  the  latter's  upasampada,  in  the  year  2 


i  Dip.  5.  69,  81 ;  5.  80. 

3  Dip.  4.  44-46  (cf.  with  this  the  note  in  OLDENBERG'S  edition) ; 
5.  73,  95,  96,  106. 

3  Dip.  5.  69,  81,  95,  96,  101,  107.  Relics  of  (Moggaliputta)tissa, 
attested  by  an  inscription,  have  been  found  in  the  Sanchi-tope  no.  2, 
See  CUNNINGHAM,  Bliilsa  Topes,  p.  289. 

d 


Introduction 


of  Candagutta  and  58  of  Pakundaka  (i.  e.  Pandukabhaya), 
therefore  319  B.C. 

(b)  He  is  Chief  of  the  Vinaya  for  sixty-eight  years  after 
Siggava  and  dies  eighty  years  after  ordination,  twenty-six  years 
after  Asoka's  abhiseka  (  =  264  B.C.).  The  first  two  statements 
accord  with  239  B.C.,  the  last  with  238  B.C.  However,  if  we 
place  the  consecration  of  Asoka  as  early  as  the  year  265, 
which  results  (see  above,  p.  xxxii)  from  dating  the  Buddha's 
death  on  the  full-moon  day  of  Vesakha,  then  even  according 
to  this  reckoning  Moggaliputta's  death  should  be  placed  at 
239  B.C. 

6.  MAHINDA.1  (a)  Mo^galiputta  ordains  Mahinda  in  the 
year  6  of  Asoka,  (reckoned  from  the  abhiseka)  or  the  year  48 
of  Mutasiva.  This  brings  us,  in  both  cases,  if  we  take  the  spring 
of  265  as  that  of  Asoka' s  abhiseka,  to  the  time  between  the 
spring  of  259  and  258.  Mahinda  was  born2  204  A.B.  i.e. 
279  B.  c.,  thus  he  was  ordained  at  the  age  of  twenty. 

Mahinda  comes  to  Ceylon  twelve  and  a  half  years  after  his 
ordination  and  eighteen  years  after  Asoka' s  abhiseka,3  as  we 
have  already  seen,  in  the  spring  246  B.C. 

(I)  He  dies  in  the  year  8  of  Uttiya's  reign  and  on  the  8th 
day  of  the  bright  half  of  the  month  Assayuja.4  The  year  of 
his  death  is  therefore  199  B.C. 

I.       ACAEIYAPARAMPARA. 


Priest 

Chief  of 
Vinaya 

1.  Upali    .     .     . 

44  B.B.—  30  A.B.  =  527  B.C.—  453  B 

c. 

from    1  A.B. 

2.  Dasaka      .     . 

30  A 

B.-94  , 

=  467 

—403   , 

..     30    „ 

3.  Sonaka     .     . 

60  , 

-124, 

=  423 

-359   , 

„     94    „ 

4.  Siggava    .     . 

100, 

-176, 

=  383 

-307   , 

»     124  „ 

5.  Moggaliputta 

164, 

-244, 

=  319 

-239    , 

„     176  „ 

6.  Mahinda  . 

224, 

-284, 

=  259 

-199    , 

1  Dip.  5.  82.     The  time  between  the  ordination  of  Moggaliputta 
and  that  of  Mahinda  is  here  stated  to  be  sixty-six  years.     It  would 
be  correct  to  say  sixty,  as  OLDEXBERG  has  already  observed. 

2  Dip.  6.  20  foil. ;  7.  21-22  ;  Mah.  5.  209. 

3  Dip.  12.42;  Mah.  13.1,5. 

4  Dip.  17.  93,  95 ;  Mah.  20.  32-33. 


Introduction 


\\ 


II.     CEYLONESE  AND  INDIAN  SYNCHRONISMS 


Year  of  Ceylon  King 

Year  of  Indian 

King 

Year  of  Christian  Era 

Vijaya                    1  = 

Ajatasattu 

8 

483  B  C. 

16  = 

11 

24 

467 

37  = 

Udayabhadda 

14 

446 

Panduvasudeva      1  = 

>» 

16 

444 

20  = 

Nagadasaka 

10 

425/4 

Abhaya 

21 

414 

Interregnum        11  = 

Kalasoka 

10 

383 

Pandukabhaya     58  = 

Candagutta 

2 

819 

Mutasiva                1  = 

5> 

14 

307 

,  48  = 

Asoka 

6 

259 

§  11.  The  Buddhist  Councils. 

According  to  the  Southern  Buddhist  tradition  three  Councils, 
as  is  known,  took  place,  the  first  immediately  after  the  death  of 
the  Buddha,  the  second  a  hundred  years  later  under  Kalasoka,  the 
third  236  years  after  the  Nirvana  in  the  reign  of  Dhammasoka. 

There  has  been  repeated  discussion,  especially  in  recent 
times,  as  to  the  authenticity  or  non-authenticity  of  the 
history  of  the  Councils.1  I  am  not  able,  within  the  limits 
of  this  introduction,  to  go  into  all  the  details.  I  will  rather 
restrict  myself,  in  the  first  place,  to  a  resume  of  that  which  is 
recorded  in  the  Pali  sources  as  to  the  Councils.  By  way  of 
comparison  I  will  then  indicate  the  most  important  statements 
of  the  Northern  Buddhist  tradition.  Finally,  I  will  endeavour 
to  extract  the  historical  kernel  which,  in  my  opinion,  is  con- 
tained in  the  Ceylonese  tradition  concerning-  those  events. 

1  I  would  refer  chiefly  to  MINAYEFF,  Recherches  sur  le  Bouddhisme, 
p.  13  foil. ;  OLDENBERG,  '  Buddhistische  Studied  Z.D.M.G.  52,  p.  613 
foil. ;  KERN,  Manual  of  Indian  Buddhism,  p.  101  foil. ;  V.  A.  SMITH 
J.R.A.S.  1901,  p.  842  foil.;  L.  DE  LA  VALLEE  POUSSIN,  'Les  pre- 
miers Conciles  (bouddhiques),'  Le  Muston,  N.S.  6.  1905,  p.  213  foil, 
(cf.  '  The  Buddhist  Councils,'  Ind.  Ant.  1908,  pp.  1  foil.,  81  foil.) ; 
R.  0.  FRANKE,  'The  Buddhist  Councils  at  Rajaeaha  and  VesalT,' 
J.P.T.S.  1908,  p.  1  foil. ;  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues  of  the  Buddha,  ii.  76, 
77.  The  Chinese  accounts  of  the  First  Council  have  been  brought 
together  by  SUZUKI,  '  The  first  Buddhist  Council/  in  theMonist,  xiv.  2, 
1904,  p.  253  foil. 

d2 


lii  Introduction 

I  can  only  incidentally,  where  it  appears  to  me  to  be 
absolutely  necessary,  take  up  a  position  with  regard  to  views 
of  other  inquirers,  and  must  avoid  many  explanations  which 
suggest  themselves,  in  order  not  to  overstep  the  space  allotted 
to  me. 

First,  with  regard  to  the  SOUTHERN  BUDDHIST  SOURCES  for 
the  history  of  the  Councils,  the  principal,  both  in  age  and 
importance,  are  Khandhaka  XI  and  XII  of  the  Cullavagga  in 
the  Vinaya-Pilaka  l  which  deal  with  the  First  and  Second 
Council. 

Then  follow  the  Dip.  and  Mah.  with  accounts  of  the  three 
Councils 2  and  also  the  historical  Introduction  to  Buddha- 
ghosa's  Samantapasadika.3  Moreover,  Buddhaghosa  treats  of 
the  First  Council,  frequently  with  the  same  wording,  in  the 
Introduction  to  his  Sumahgalavilasinl.4  As  secondary  sources 
we  may  mention  the  Mahabodhivamsa fi  and  Sasanavamsa,6 
and  also  in  the  Sinhalese  language  principally  the  Nikaya- 
Samgraha.7 

The  NORTHERN  BUDDHIST  ACCOUNTS  will  be  mentioned  in 
treating  of  the  several  Councils. 

The  First  Council. 

The  account  in  C.V.  is  this  : 

Mahakassapa,  travelling  with  his  disciples  from  Pava  to 
Kusinara,  hears  of  the  death  of  the  Buddha.  The  monks  are 
profoundly  grieved,  but  Subhadda  comforts  them  with  the 
frivolous  utterance  that  they  can  now  do  what  they  will,  and 
that  they  are  freed  from  an  irksome  control. 

Thereupon  Mahakassapa  proposes  to  undertake  a  samglti 
of  the  Dhamma  and  the  Vinaya,  that  the  doctrine  may  thus 

OLDENBERG,  Vin.  Pit.  ii,  p.  284  foil.    Cf.S.B.E.  xx,  p.  370  foil. 
GEIGEB,  Dtp.  and  Mah.  p.  108  foil.    In  the  Dip.  there  is  a  double 
account  of  each  Council. 

See  OLDENBERG,  Vin.  Pit.  in,  p.  283  foil. 
Ed.  RHYS  DAVIDS  and  CARPENTER,  i.  (P.T.S.  1886),  p.  2  foil. 
Ed.  STRONG  (P.T.S.  1891),  p.  85  foil. 
Ed.  M.  BODE  (P.T.S.  1897s  p.  3  foil. 
7  Ed.  WICKREMASINGHE,  1890,  pp.  3,  4,  8. 


Introduction  l"i 

be  kept  pure.  To  this  end  500  monks  are  chosen,  among 
whom,  by  the  wish  of  the  assembly,  is  Ananda,  though  he  is 
not  yet  an  Arahant. 

The  Council  takes  place  in  Rajagaha  and  passes  off  in  the 
manner  described  in  the  Mah. 

Some  points  are  to  be  added  from  the  C.V.  namely : 

(1)  Ananda  relates  that  the  Buddha  had,  in  his  presence, 
declared  the  community  of  monks  empowered  after  his  death 
to  do  away  with  the  less  important  precepts,1  if  they  wished. 
Since  they  are  not  able  to  agree  in  deciding  what  is  to  be 
understood  by  this  expression,  they  resolve  not  to  do  away  with 
any  precept. 

(2)  Certain  reproaches  are  cast  upon  Ananda,     Although 
he  is  not  conscious  of  any  fault  he  acknowledges  himself  guilty 
from  respect  for  the  Assembly. 

(3)  The  thera  Purana  enters  Rajagaha.      He  is  called  upon 
to  take  part  in  the  work  of  the  Assembly.     He  renders  due 
acknowledgment  to  this  work   but  prefers  to  hold  by  that 
which  he  himself  has  heard  from  the  Master's  lips. 

(4)  Ananda  further  relates  how   the   Buddha,  before   his 
death,  had  also  pronounced  the    monk  Channa  liable  to  the 
brahmadanda  penance.     The  fulfilling  of  this  duty  is  en- 
trusted to  Ananda.    Channa  is  deeply  troubled.    With  zealous 
endeavour  he  attains  to  arahantship,  upon  which  the  penance 
is  remitted.2 

As  regards  the  time  at  which  the  First  Council  was  held,  the 
Dip.  1.  24  ;  5.  4  mentions  the  fourth  month  after  the  Master's 
death.  This  was  the  second  Vassa-month,  i.e.  Savana,  the 
fifth  month  of  the  year.3 

This  reckoning  is  based  on  the  tradition  according  to  which 
the  Buddha  died  on  the  full-moon  day  of  the  month  Vesakha. 

Buddhaghosa  and  the  Mah.  agree  with  this  statement.4 
The  latter  certainly  mentions  the  bright  half  of  Asalha  the 

1  Khuddanukhuddakani  sikkhapadani.    SeeMahaparinib- 
banasutta,  D.  II.  154. 

2  I  omit  the  episode  of  Udena,  C.V.  XL  13-14. 

3  See  M.V.  III.  2.  2  (OLDENBERG,  Vin.  Pit.  i,  p.  137). 

4  Smp.  28532  35,  28634;  Sum.  610  20,  814  15;'Mah.  3.  14-16. 


liv  Introduction 

fourth  month  of  the  year l  as  the  beginning  of  the  Council, 
but  adds  that  the  first  month  was  spent  in  preparations,  thus 
the  proceeding  did  not  begin  till  the  month  Savana. 

It  is  an  obviously  later  addition  which  we  find  in  the  Sum., 
that  not  only  the  Vinaya  and  the  Dhamma,  in  all  their 
details,  but  also  the  Abhidhamma  are  established  at  the  First 
Council. 

The  same  is  found  in  the  later  tradition. 

Among  the  NORTHERN  BUDDHIST  SOURCES  dealing  with 
the  First  Council  I  mention  the  Mahavastu.2  Here,  in 
agreement  with  the  Southern  tradition  Kasyapa  is  given  as 
the  originator  of  the  Council,  the  number  of  the  bhiksus 
taking  part  in  it  is  stated  to  be  500  and  the  place  the  Sapta- 
parna  grotto  near  Rajagrha. 

There  is,  besides,  an  account  in  the  second  volume  of  the 
Dulva,  the  Tibetan  Vinaya  of  the  Sarvastivadin  sect.3  The 
fixing  of  the  Canon  took  place,  according  to  this  source,  in 
the  following  order  :  (1)  Dharma,  by  Ananda  ;  (2)  Vinaya,  by 
Upali;  (3)  Matrka  (i.e.  Abhidharma)  by  Mahakasyapa  himself. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  Dulva  puts  the  accusations 
brought  against  Ananda  in  the  time  before  the  beginning  of 
the  proceedings,  thus  before  his  attainment  of  arahantship. 

Fa-hian  and  Hiuen-thsang4  also  mention  the  First  Council. 
The  former  gives  the  number  of  the  bhiksus  as  500,  the  latter 
as  1,000;  the  former  speaks  in  a  general  way  of  '  a  collec- 
tion of  sacred  books',  the  latter  expressly  mentions  also  the 
redaction  of  the  Abhidharma  by  Mahakasyapa. 

The  Second  Council. 

According  to  C.V.  XII.  the  Second  Council  takes  place 
100  years  after  the  Buddha's  death,  and  is  brought  about 
by  the  das  a  vatthuni5  of  the  Vajji  monks  of  Vesull,  which 

1  The  full  moon   of  Asalha  of  the   year  483   fell,   according  to 
JACOBI'S  reckoning  (see  FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p.  20)  on  June  24. 

2  Ed.  SEN  ART,  i,  p.  69  foil. 

3  See  ROCKHILL,  Life  of  the  Buddha  (1907),  p.  148  foil. 

4  BEAL,  Buddhist  Records,  i,  pp.  Ix-lxi ;  ii,  pp.  162-164 ;  LEGGE, 
Records  of  Buddhistic  Kingdoms,  p.  85. 

5  On  these  ten  points,  according  to  the  Pali-tradition,  see  below  in 


Introduction  lv 

signified  a  relaxing  of  monastic  discipline.  In  the  further 
course  of  its  narrative,  too,  the  C.V.  agrees  with  the  Mah.  and 
the  rest  of  the  SOUTHERN  BUDDHIST  SOURCES.  The  contrast 
comes  out  distinctly  between  the  city-dwelling  monks  of 
Vesalland  the  Arahants  living  in  solitary  retreat  (arannaka, 
Vin.  II.  2995)  and  of  strict  tendencies. 

Yasa's  speech  in  presence  of  the  Yesalian  upasakas  is  given 
in  full  extent.  The  disciple  of  Revata,  whom  the  Vajji  monks 
bring  over  to  their  side  (Mah.  4.  30)  is  called  Uttara.  It 
is  also  characteristic  that  the  orthodox  monks  before  they 
undertake  the  refutation  of  the  heresies  first  assure  them- 
selves of  the  consent  of  Sabbakami,  the  Samghathera  at 
that  time.1 

The  number  of  those  taking  part  in  the  Council  is  given 
unanimously  as  700.2  The  Dip.  and  the  Mah.  set  the  time  of  the 
Council  in  the  eleventh  year  of  the  reign  of  Kalasoka  (  =  383- 
382  B.C.),  later  documents  put  it  in  the  tenth  year.3  The  locality 
is  generally  considered  to  be  the  Valikarama.4  Only  the  Dip, 
(5.  29)  mentions  the  Kutagarasala  of  the  Mahavana  monastery, 
I  do  not  think  we  need  attach  any  importance  to  this  dis- 
crepancy, which  probably  takes  its  rise  in  some  misunder- 
standing. 

Still  it  is  of  importance  that  the  Dip.  5.  30  foil,  states, 
to  complete  the  narrative,  that  the  heretical  monks  held  a 
separate  Council,  called  Mahasamglti,  and  that  they  here 

the  Translation,  note  to  4.  9.  See  for  further  observations  L.  DE  LA 
VALLEE  POUSSIN,  Le  Museon,  N.S.  vi  (1905),  p.  276  foil. ;  hid.  Ant. 
37  (1908),  p.  88  foil. 

1  C.V.  XII.  2.  4-6  =  Vin.  II,  p.  30319  foil. 

2  C.V.  XII.  2.  9  (=  Vin.  II.  307s5)  ;  Dip.  4.  52  ;    Mah.  4.  62  ;  Smp. 
2947.     But  when  the  Dip.  5.  20  speaks  of  1,200,000  who  took  part  in 
the  Council  it  does  not  contradict  itself  in  this.     By  this  naturally 
exaggerated  number  the  Dip.  means  those  who  took   part  in  the 
General  Assembly.      Mah.  4.   60  and   Smp.  2949  give   for  this  the 
same  number. 

3  Dip.  4. 44, 47  ;  Mah.  4.  8.  Cf.  Mahabodhiv.  966 ;  Sasanav.  71  3  ;  Nik. 
Samgr.  4". 

4  Mah.  4.  50, 63  ;  Smp.    9415 ;  Mahabodhiv.  9620 ;  Sasanav.  613 ;  Nik. 
Samgr.  64. 


Ivi  Introduction 

made  out  a  different  redaction  of  the  Canonical  Scriptures. 
With  this  may  be  compared  the  brief  notice  in  Mah.  5.  3-4, 
according  to  which  the  heretical  monks  of  the  Second  Council, 
under  the  name  Mahasamghika,  formed  a  separate  sect,  as  the 
first  branching-off  from  the  orthodox  doctrine. 

In  the  NORTHERN  TRADITION  we  have  accounts  of  the 
second  Council  in  the  Dulva,1  from  the  Tibetan  historian 
Taranatha  2,  from  Fa-hian  and  Hiuen-thsang.3 

As  according  to  the  Southern  sources  so  according  to  these 
accounts  the  ten  points  of  the  Vajji  monks  form  the  starting- 
point  of  the  movement. 

As  to  the  date  there  is  great  uncertainty.  In  the  same  way, 
with  respect  to  the  place,  the  tradition  wavers  between  Vaisali 
and  Pataliputra.4  Of  the  famous  theras  of  the  Second 
Council  mentioned  in  the  Southern  scriptures  we  meet 
the  following  in  the  Northern : — Sarvakama  =  Sabbakami, 
Yasa  =  Yasa,  Salha  =  Salha,  Sambhuta  =  Sambhuta  Sana- 
vasi,  Revata=  Revata,  Kuyyasobhita  (?)  =  Khujjasobhita 
and  Ajita  =  Ajita. 

The  Third  Council. 

With  respect  to  the  Third  Council  we  must,  in  the  first 
place,  depend  on  SOUTHERN  BUDDHIST  SOURCES  since  it  has  up 
to  this  time  been  accepted  that  the  Northern  Buddhist  took  no 
account  of  this  Assembly  of  the  Church.  Our  oldest  source  is 
the  Dip.  7.  34-43,  44-59 ;  then  comes  Smp.  30627  foil.,  then 
Mah.  5.  228  folk  Respecting  the  course  of  events  we  may 
refer  to  the  translation  following  below,  since  no  essential 
differences  exist. 

The  president  of  the  Council  was  Tissa  Moggaliputta,  the 
place  Pataliputta^also  called  Kusumapura  *  the  city  of  flowers  '. 
As  date,  the  year  236  A.  B.  =  247  B.  c.  is  given,  Dip.  7. 
37,  44/> 

1  See  ROCKHILL,  Life  of  the  Buddha,  pp.  171-180. 

2  Tdran'tthas  Geschichte  des  Buddhismus  in  Indien,  iibersetzt  von 
SCHIEFNER,  p.  41  foil.     Cf.  WASSILJEW,  Der  Buddhismus,  p.  61  foil. 

3  BEAL,  I.  I.,  i,  p.  liv  ;  ii,  pp.  74-75  ;  LEGGE,  I.  /.,  p.  75. 

4  On  these  wavering  traditions  see  below. 

6  Cf.  Sasanav.  i,  p.  81. 3 ;  Nik.  Samgr.  9<.    When  Dip.  1.  24,  25  says 


Introduction  Ivii 

The  Mah.  5.  280  says  that  the  Council  was  concluded  in  the 
seventeenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Asoka.  It  lasted,  accord- 
ing to  both  chronicles,  nine  months.  Thus,  according  to 
FLEET'S  l  reckoning,  the  Council  began  in  the  middle  of  January 
247  B.C.  and  came  to  an  end  at  the  end  of  October  in  the  same 
year. 


Now  with  respect  to  the  trustworthiness  of  the  Southern 
Buddhist  accounts  of  the  Councils  I  have  arrived  at  the 
following  conclusion.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  a  genuine  historical 
reminiscence  underlies  the  tradition.  This  holds  good  of  all 
three  Councils.  A  general  framework  of  facts  is  given  with 
some  few  data  deeply  engraved  in  memory.  But  within  this 
framework,  even  in  the  oldest  form  of  the  tradition,  all  kinds 
of  details  were  introduced  which  correspond  to  the  opinions 
and  circumstances  of  later  times.  We  must  keep  to  the  most 
general  statements  if  we  would  come  near  the  historical  truth. 
Everything  special  and  particular  should  be  looked  upon  with 
a  certain  scepticism. 

For  the  FIRST  COUNCIL  we  need  not  hesitate  to  extract  as 
the  historical  kernel  of  the  tradition,  the  fact  that,  after  the 
Buddha's  death,  his  nearest  disciples  assembled  in  the  capital 
of  the  country  to  establish  the  most  important  rules  of  the 
Order  as,  according  to  their  recollection,  the  Master  himself 
had  laid  them  down.  This  may  then  have  formed  the  ground- 
work of  the  later  Vinaya.  That  the  Buddhist  canon  was 
established  then  and  there  in  the  form  in  which  we  now  have 
it,  a  form  that  can  only  be  the  fruit  of  centuries  of  develop- 
ment,2 is  naturally  out  of  the  question.  We  see  indeed  how 

that  the  First  Council  took  place  four  months  after  the  Nirvana  and  the 
Third  Council  118  years  later  there  is  here  a  manifest  error,  for  which 
the  clumsiness  of  the  author  of  the  Dip.  is  responsible.  The  date  118  is 
evidently  reckoned  from  the  Second  Council,  mention  of  which  has 
dropped  out,  and  it  refers,  as  in  Mah.  5.  100,  not  to  the  beginning  of 
the  Third  Council,  but  to  the  birth  of  Moggaliputta  Tissa.  See 
Dip.  5.  55. 

1  J.R.A.S.  1910,  p.  426. 

2  See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues,  i,  x-xx  ;   Buddhist  India,  p.  161 
foil. ;  OLDENBEEG,  Vin.  Pit.  i,  p.  x  foil. 


Iviii  Introduction 

the  tradition  itself  adds  new  details.  Speaking  at  first  only 
of  Vinaya  and  Dhamma  it  then,  in  a  later  form,  makes  the 
Abhidhamma  also  take  its  rise  in  the  First  Council. 

In  my  interpretation  I  attach  special  importance  to  the 
episode  of  Purana  (see  p.  liii).  It  gives  the  impression  of  a 
genuine  historical  reminiscence,  the  more  so  since  it  is  just  of 
such  a  nature  as  to  diminish  the  authority  of  the  theras  of  the 
First  Council.  There  was  therefore  certainly  no  reason  to  invent 
this  story.  As  a  statement  of  fact,  however,  it  has  no  mean- 
ing unless  there  had  really  been  beforehand  some  proposal  to 
establish  the  teachings  of  the  Buddha. 

Certainly  not  very  much  more  than  this  can  be  proved  to  be 
historical  in  the  account  of  the  First  Council.  The  narrator  in 
the  C.V.  adheres  in  his  narrative  to  the  Mahaparinibbana-sutta 
(D.  Sutta  XVI  =  D.  II,  p.  72  foil.).  This  has  been  convinc- 
ingly demonstrated  by  OLDENBERG  l  and  in  greater  detail  by 
FRANKE.2  I  should  not  therefore  like  to  attach  most  importance, 
as  does  L.  DE  LA  VALLEE  PoussiN,3  precisely  to  the  episode  of 
Ananda's  failings  and  the  punishment  of  Channa.  They 
may  very  well  have  been  incorporated  in  the  account  only 
because  they  exist  in  the  Sutta  D.  XVI.4  It  is  not  even  certain 
whether  it  was  just  the  frivolous  words  of  Subhadda  that 
brought  about  the  holding  of  the  Council,  here  too  it  may  be 
that  the  narrator  has  only  followed  the  Sutta  in  making  this 
fact  a  motive  for  the  Council. 

In  that  case  OLDENBERG's5  object  ion  to  the  historical  character 

1  Vin.  Pit.  i,p.  xxvi  foil.  2  J.P.T.S.  1908,  p.  8  foil. 

3  Lid.  Ant.  1908,  pp.  15-16,  18. 

4  FRANKS,  I.I.,  p.  18,  foil.,  observes  very  aptly  that  in  C.V.  XI  and  XII 
the  precept  of  D.  XVI.  6.  2  (=  D.  II,  p.  154)  concerning  the  use  of 
bhante  and  avuso,has   been  strictly  retained.    Here,  again,  the 
narrator's  dependence,  as  to  form,  on  the  Mahaparinibbana-sutta  is 
evident.     Because  he  found  the  precept  in  the  sutta,  he  retains  it  in 
his  account.    But  when  FRANKE  then  goes  so  far  as  to  argue  that  the 
accounts  of  the  Council  in  C.V.  were  only  invented  to  illustrate  that 
question  of  etiquette,  that  they  were  therefore  *  more  or  less  readings  in 
"  good  form  "  for  bhikkhus  in  all  events  and  circumstances  ',  there  are 
assuredly  few  who  will  follow  him.     I  am  quite  unable  to  do  so. 

6  L.  1.    Cf.  also  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist  Suttas  (S.B.E.  xi),  General 


Introduction  lix 

of  the  First  Council  disappears.  He  is  of  opinion  that,  since 
Subhadda's  words  are  mentioned,  in  the  Mahaparinibbana- 
sutta,  there  must  also  have  been  some  allusion  to  the  Council 
if  it  really  was  brought  about  by  those  words.  According  to 
my  view  the  Council—  or  whatever  this  assembly  of  monks  in 
Kajagaha  may  be  called — is  the  established  fact  (see  above). 
If  the  introduction  of  the  narrative  in  the  C.Y.  really  should 
not  be  in  agreement  with  the  Sutta  D.  XVI,  which  I  will  only 
assume  but  without  yielding  the  point,  then  the  fact  of  the 
Council  itself  is  not  put  aside.  In  that  case  the  narrator, 
looking  for  a  motive  or  means  of  introducing  the  Council, 
found  it  in  that  passage  of  the  Sutta,  a  connexion  which  did 
not  correspond  to  the  reality.1 

The  SECOND  and  THIRD  COUNCIL  must  be  discussed  together. 

It  is  historically  confirmed,  I  think,  that  the  first  schism 
in  the  Church  proceeded  from  Vesall  and  that  the  dasa 
vatthuniof  the  Vajji-monks  brought  it  about.  But  it  is 
doubtful  when  this  separation  resulted,  where  it  took  place, 
and  whether  after  this  Second  Council  yet  a  third  took  place 
and  at  what  time. 

According  to  the  Southern  Buddhist  tradition,  as  we  saw, 
the  Second  Council  was  held  in  Vesall  itself  under  king 
Kalasoka  in  the  year  383/2  B.  c.,  the  third  under  Dhammasoka 
in  Pataliputta  in  the  year  247  B.C.  The  first  led  to  the 
separation  of  the  Mahasamghikas  from  the  Theravada.  The 
second  led  to  the  expulsion  from  the  community  of  certain 
elements  wrongfully  intruded  there. 

My  opinion  now  is  that  this  distinction  between  two 
separate  Councils  is  in  fact  correct.  The  Northern  Bud- 
dhists have  mistakenly  fused  the  two  into  one  as  they  con- 
founded the  kings  Kalasoka  and  Dhammasoka  one  with 
another.  But  traces  of  the  right  tradition  are  still  preserved 


Introduction,  p.  xi  foil.   JACOBI,  Z.D.M.G.  34,  p.  185,  is,  however,  not 
inclined  to  give  such  great  weight  to  the  argumentum  e  silentio. 

1  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues,  ii.  76,77,  has  discussed  the  value  of  the 
evidence  as  to  the  First  Council,  and  arrived  at  a  somewhat  similar 
conclusion. 


Ix  Introduction 

in  the  wavering  uncertain  statements  as  to  the  time  and  place  of 
the  Council. 

According  to  the  Tibetan  tradition  in  the  Dulva1  the 
first  schism  occurred  160  years  after  the  death  of  the  Buddha, 
when  king  Dharmas'oka  reigned  in  Kusumapura.  But  the 
same  source  (ROCKHILL,  p.  186)  also  records  an  assembly 
which  took  place  in  Pataliputra  137  years  after  the  Nirvana, 
under  Mahapadma  and  Nanda. 

In  Chinese  sources  2  we  find  the  same  uncertainty.  The 
Council  that  led  to  the  first  schism  is  in  these  placed  now 
100,  now  116,  now  160  years  after  the  Buddha's  death. 

As  the  place  of  the  Council  Fa-hian  and  Hiuen-thsang  3 
mention  Vaisali.  But  according  to  the  Dulva  (1L,  p.  182) 
the  schism  arose  in  Kusumapura  (i.e.  Pataliputra).  Taranatha 
(p.  41)  speaks  of  the  ten  points  taught  by  the  heretical  monks 
of  Vaisali  and  which  gave  occasion  for  a  Council  that  took 
place  in  Kusumapura.  The  Chinese  sources  too  (see  St.  J.,  1. 1.) 
mention  Pataliputra. 

Evidently,  as  has  been  said,  the  failure  to  distinguish 
between  the  two  Asokas  was  the  cause  of  the  whole  confusion. 
This  is  plain  from  the  fact  that  with  respect  to  this  king's 
date  we  find  the  same  contradictions  in  the  Northern  sources. 
Hiuen-thsang  knows  only  one  Asoka,  Dharmasoka,  the  his- 
torical king  of  the  third  century  B.C.  But  he  puts  him  100 
years  after  the  Nirvana,  that  is,  he  gives  him  the  period  of 
the  earlier  Asoka.  For  hardly  any  scholar  will  admit  now,  I 
believe,  that  Buddha  died  in  the  fourth  century  B.C.;  moreover, 
Hiuen-thsang,  as  we  saw  (see  above,  p.  xliv),  names  also  Dhar- 
masoka as  the  founder  of  Pataliputra,  although  we  know 
beyond  dispute  that  Pataliputra  was  the  capital  of  the  country 
before  his  time.  He  has  thus  transferred  to  Dharmasoka,  the 
son  of  Candragupta,  a  tradition  which  related  to  an  earlier 
king. 

1  According  to  Bhavya,  in  ROCKHILL,  Life  of  the  Buddha,  p.  182. 

2  ST.  JULIEN,  Journ.  As.,  V.  Serie,  fc.  xiv,  pp.  343,  333,  336.  Cf.  below, 
Appendix  B. 

3  See  above,  p.  Ivi,  n.  3.    Fa-hian,  however,  does  not  express  himself 
so  definitely  as  Hiuen-thsang. 


Introduction  l*i 

In  the  Tibetan  sources  Asoka  is  generally  dated  100-160 
years  after  the  Nirvana.  But  there  is  beside  this  an  allu- 
sion which,  in  agreement  with  the  Southern  tradition,  places 
him  234  years  after  the  Buddha.1 

Taranatha  says 2  that  in  the  Tibetan  Vinaya  the  date 
110  A.B.  is  given  for  Asoka,  but  that  in  the  other  sources 
the  dates  are  210  and  220. 

Lastly,  in  the  Chinese  Tripitaka  there  are,  according  to 
TAKAKUSU,  four  dates  for  Asoka  :  116  A.B.,  118  A.B.,  130  A.B., 
and  218  A.B.  The  last-mentioned  date,  however,  is  found 
apparently  only  in  the  Chinese  Sudarsana-vibhasa  Vinaya, 
which  is  a  translation  of  Buddhaghosa's  Samantapasadika.3 

But  there  is  something  more.  The  Northern  writings 
are  very  familiar  with  the  ten  points  raised  by  the  monks 
of  Vaisali  and  the  schism  produced  by  them.  But  they 
also  know  of  another  division  4  associated  with  the  names 
of  the  monks  Mahadeva  and  Bhadra.  These  latter  set  up 
five  dogmas  which  were  also  expressed  in  brief  aphorisms  and 
which  led  to  a  schism.  In  Vasumitra's  account  5  the  con- 
fusion is  complete  when  he  relates  that  somewhat  more 
than  100  years  after  the  Nirvana,  under  king  Asoka  in 
Pataliputra  the  schism  of  the  Mahasamghikas  resulted  from 
the  five  dogmas,  which  are  then  described.  Here  then,  finally, 
the  five  dogmas  of  Mahadeva  are  confounded  with  the  ten 
points  of  the  Vajji-monks. 

It  is  perhaps  not  too  daring  to  conjecture  that  in  this 
division  associated  with  the  name  of  Mahadeva  there  is  a 
reminiscence  of  the  proceedings  that  brought  about  the  Third 
Council.  But  this  conjecture  is  now  also  confirmed  by 
an  acute  observation  of  L.  DE  LA  VALLEE  POUSSIN.  He 


1  See  ROCKHILL,  /.  L,  p.  233. 

2  Transl.  by  Schiefner,  p.  42. 

3  A  Record  of  the  Buddhist  Religion  by  I-TSING,  transl.  by  TAKA- 
KUSU, p.  14,  n.  1,  p.  217. 

4  See  esp.  Taranatha,  p.  51 ;   Bhavya  in  ROCKHILL,  L  L,  p.  186 ; 
WASSILJEW,  Der  Buddhismus,  i,  pp.  62-63. 

5  See  ROCKHILL,  L  ?.,  p.  187,  n.  1. 


Ixii  Introduction 

establishes  the  fact l  that  the  five  dogmas  of  Mahadeva  belong 
to  those  which  are  combated  in  the  Kathavatthu.  But  the 
Kathavatthu  was  composed  (see  Mah.  5.  278)  by  Moggali- 
putta  Tissa  on  the  occasion  of  the  Council  of  Pataliputta. 

Thus  a  new  link  has  been  found  between  the  Northern  and 
Southern  tradition  of  the  Third  Council.2  I  adhere,  therefore, 
to  the  assumption  that  a  second  Council  took  place  under 
Kalasoka  and  a  third  under  Dhammasoka. 

The  course  of  events  at  the  Second  Council  may,  taken  as 
a  whole,  be  as  the  Southern  and  Northern  sources  relate. 
The  '10  points'  are  historical,  and  we  must  also  regard  as 
historical  the  names  of  the  theras  concerned  in  refuting  them.3 
Moreover,  the  division  of  the  community,  till  then  united, 
into  two  schools  is,  as  I  believe,  a  fact.  But  we  must  not 
exaggerate  our  notion  of  the  harshness  of  this  separation. 

With  the  toleration  peculiar  to  the  Indians  the  different 
sects  have  always  mutually  recognized  each  other  and  kept  up 
relations  with  each  other.  I  may  refer  to  the  beautiful  utter- 
ance attributed  by  Vasumitra  to  the  Buddha  concerning  the 

1  Buddhist  notes.    The  five  Points  of  Mahadeva  and  the  Katha- 
vatthu, J.R.A.S.  1910,  p.  413  foil. 

2  V.  A.  SMITH,  J.R.A.S.  1901,  p.  827  foil,  and  particularly  p.  839  foil., 
argues  thus  :  As  there  are  two  different  traditions  concerning  the  time 
of  the  Second  Council  the  Southern  tradition  has  invented  a  second 
Asoka  in  addition  to  the  historical  one,  and  out  of  one  Council  has 
made   two.     It  will  be  seen  that  my  argument  follows  the  exactly 
opposite  course:    as  there  were  two  Asokas  the  Northern  tradition 
has  confounded  the  two  Councils  which  took  place  in  their  time. 
SMITH'S  argument  has  the  defect  of  not  explaining  how  the  different 
tradition  regarding  the  Second  Council  arose. 

3  That  an  extraordinarily  great  age  is  attributed  of  certain  theras 
need  hardly  be   brought  forward  as  testimony  against  the  general 
trustworthiness  of  the  account  (KERN,  Manual,  p.  105).     These  are  the 
embellishments  by  which  it  was  intended  to  exalt  the  authority  of  the 
theras.     In  like  manner  an  age  of  150  years  is  attributed  to  the  first 
Patriarch  of  the  Dhyana  Sect  in  China,  Bodhidharma.     (SUZUKI, 
J.P.T.S.  1906-7,  pp.  11,  13.)     Besides,  the  Yasa  of  the  Second  Council 
was  certainly  not  the  Yasa  who  in  M.V.  I.  7  foil,  appears  as  a  contem- 
porary of  the  Buddha.     He  is  distinguished  from  this  latter  by  the 
epithet  Kakandakattajo. 


Introduction 

twelve  future  schools :  '  These  schools  will  be  the  repositories 
of  the  diversified  fruits  of  my  scriptures  without  priority  or 
inferiority — just  as  the  taste  of  sea-water  is  everywhere  the 
same — or  as  the  twelve  sons  of  one  man  all  honest  and  true, 
so  will  be  the  exposition  of  my  doctrine  advocated  by  these 
schools/ l 

We  may  conjecture  that  the  Second  Council  contributed  to 
the  completion  of  the  Vinaya  and  the  Dhamma,  though 
C.V.  XII  does  not  expressly  speak  of  it.  That  may  have  been 
taken  as  a  matter  of  course.  Besides,  in  the  concluding 
words  (C.V.  XII.  2.  9)  the  second  Council,  like  the  first,  is 
designated  Vinayasamgiti. 

At  the  time  of  the  Third  Council  the  canonical  literature 
of  the  Dhamma  and  Vinaya,  as  we  now  have  it  in  the  Pali 
recension,  was  evidently  completed  in  essentials.  This  is 
proved  by  mention  of  portions  of  the  canon  in  the  inscription 
of  Bairat.  Here  Asoka  recommends  seven  scriptures  for  par- 
ticular study.  Of  these  scriptures  six  can  be  pointed  out  with 
more  or  less  certainty  in  the  Pali  canon.2 

And  now,  besides,  the  literary  movement  is  proceeding  which 
leads  to  the  compilation  of  the  Abhidhamma.  We  see  this 
from  the  allusion,  already  mentioned  above,  in  Mah.  5.  278, 
according  to  which  Moggaliputta  Tissa  in  order  to  refute  the 
errors  which  brought  about  the  Third  Council,  composed  his 
Kathavatthuppakarana.  But  this  work  belongs  to  the  Abhi- 
dhamma. 

The  importance  of  the  Councils,  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
orthodox,  lay  in  the  elimination  of  tendencies  which  could  no 
longer  be  regarded  as  consistent  with  the  faith.  But  of 
higher  importance  was  the  resolve  formed  in  Pataliputra  to 
bear  Buddhism  beyond  the  borders  of  its  narrower  home. 
With  this  Buddhism  entered  on  its  victorious  progress  through 
the  Eastern  World. 

1  See  DEAL,  Ind.  Ant.  ix,  1880,  p.  300. 

2  OLDENBERG,  Vin.  Pit.  i,  p.  xl ;  Z.D.M.G.  52,  p.  634  foil.,  against 
MINAYEFP,  Recherches  surle  JBouddhisme,  pp.  83-92  ;   RHYS  DAVIDS, 
Dialogues,  i,  p.  xiii. 


LIST   OF  ABBEEVIATIONS 

A.  =  Anguttara-Nikaya  (ed.  MORRIS  and  HARDY,  5  vols.,  Pali  Text 

Soc.  1885-1900).    Vol.  vi,  Indexes  by  Miss  HUNT,  1910. 
Asl.  =  Atthasalim  (ed.  E.  MULLER,  P.T.S.,  1897). 
B.R.  =  Sanskrit- Worterbuch  von  BOHTLINGK  und  ROTH,  7  vols.,  St. 

Petersburg,  1855-1875. 

C.V.  =  Cullavagga  (the  Vinaya  Pitaka,  ed.  OLDENBERG,  vol.  ii,  1880). 
D.  =  DTgha-Nikaya  (ed.  RHYS   DAVIDS  and  CARPENTER,    3   vols., 

P.T.S.  1890-191.1). 

Dip.  =  Dipavamsa  (ed.  andtransl.  OLDENBERG,  1879). 
LA.  =  Indian  Antiquary. 
J.As.  =  Journal  Asiatique. 

Jat.  =  Jataka  (ed.  FAUSBOLL,  7  vols.,  1877-1897). 
J. P.T.S.  =  Journal  of  the  Pali  Text  Society. 
J.R.A.S.  =  Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society. 
Kamb.  Mah.  =  Kambodja   Mahavamsa  (s.  HARDY,  J.P.T.S.    1902-3, 

p.  61  foil.). 
M.  -  Majjhima-Nikaya  (ed.  TRENCKNER  and  CHALMERS,  3  vols.,  P.T.S. 

1888-1899). 

Mah.  ed.  =  Mahavamsa  (ed.  W.  GEIGER,  P.T.S.  1908). 
M.Bv.  =  Mahabodhivamsa  (ed.  STRONG,  P.T.S.  1901). 
M.V.  =  Mahavagga  (The  Vinaya  Pitaka,  ed.  OLDENBERG,  vol.  i,  1879). 
P.D.  =  Dictionary  of  the  Pali  Language,  by  CHILDERS,  1875. 
Vin.  Pit.  =  The  Vinaya  Pitaka,  ed.  OLDENBERG,  5  vols.,  1879-1883. 
S.  =  Samyutta  Nikaya  (ed.  FEER,  5  vols.,  P.T.S.  1884-1898  ;  vol.  6  ; 

Indexes  by  Mrs.  RHYS  DAVIDS,  1904). 
S.B.B.  =  Sacred  Books  of  the  Buddhists. 
S.B.E.  =  Sacred  Books  of  the  East. 

Smp.  =  Samanta-Pasadika  (Introd.  to  S.  in  Vin.  Pit.  ii,  p.  283  foil.). 
Sum.  =  Sumangala-Vilasim  (ed.  RHYS  DAVIDS  and  CARPENTER,  vol.  i, 

P.T.S.  1886). 
Z.D.M.G.  =  Zeitschrift  der  Deutschen  Morgenlandischen  Gesellschaft. 


Map  of  ANCIENT  CEYLON 


«fc> 


SCALE  OF  ENGLISH  MlftS 

0  10  20  30          40  SO 

Ancient  Names  thus  -    PanjaK 
Modern  Names  thus.-   Jaffna 


(gama) « Village 
pHpabbata)-  Mountain 
v?'(vapi)-Tank 


THE   MAHAVAMSA 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  VISIT  OF  THE  TATHAGATA 

HAVING  made  obeisance  to  the  Sambuddha  the  pure,  sprung  1 
of  a  pure  race,  I  will  recite  the  Mahavamsa,  of  varied  content 
and  lacking  nothing.     That  (Mahavamsa)  which  was  compiled  2 
by  the  ancient  (sages)  was  here  too  long  drawn  out  and  there 
too  closely  knit ;  and  contained  many  repetitions.     Attend  ye  3 
now  to  this  (Mahavamsa)  that  is  free  from  such  faults,  easy 
to    understand    and    remember,    arousing    serene    joy    and 
emotion  and  handed  down  (to  us)  by  tradition, — (attend  ye  to  4 
it)  while  that  ye  call  up  serene  joy  and  emotion  (in  you)  l 
at  passages  that  awaken  serene  joy  and  emotion. 

On  seeing  the  Sambuddha  Dipamkara,  in  olden  times,  our  5 
Conqueror  resolved  to  become  a  Buddha,  that  he  might  release 
the  world  from  evil.     When  he  had  offered  homage  to  that  6 
Sambuddha   and    likewise    to    Kondanna   and    to   the   sage 
Mangala,  to  Sumana,  to  the  Buddha  Kevata  and  likewise  to 
the  great  sage  Sobhita,  to  the  Sambuddha  Anomadassi,  to  7 
Paduma  and  to  the  Conqueror  Narada,  to  the  Sambuddha 
Padumuttara  and  to  the  Tathagata  Sumedha,  and  to  Sujata,  8 
to    Piyadassi    and    to    the    Master    Atthadassi,    to    Dham- 
madassi  and  Siddhattha,  to  Tissa  and  the  Conqueror  Phussa,  9 
to    Vipassi    and     the    Sambuddha    Sikhi,    and     the     Sam- 
buddha   Vessabhu,    the    mighty    one,    to   the    Sambuddha 

1  Read  janayanta,  referring  the  participle  to  the  subject  implied 
in  sunotha.  The  terms  pasada  *  serene  joy'  and  samvega 
'emotion'  occur  also  in  the  postscripts  of  the  single  chapters  of 
the  Mah.  Pasada  signifies  the  feeling  of  blissfulness,  joy  and  satis- 
faction in  the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha,  sam  vega  the  feeling  of  horror 
and  recoil  from  the  world  and  its  misery.  See  also  23.  62  with  note. 

B 


2  Mahdvamsa  1. 10 

10  Kakusandha,   and  likewise  to   Konagamana,  as  also  to  the 
blessed  Kassapa, — having  offered  homage  to  these  twenty-four 
Sambuddhas  and  having  received  from  them  the  prophecy  of 

1 1  his  (future)  buddhahood  he,  the  great  hero,  when  he  had  ful- 
filled all  perfections 1  and  reached  the  highest  enlightenment, 
the    sublime    Buddha    Gotama,    delivered    the    world    from 
suffering. 

1 2  At  Uruvela,2  in  the  Magadha  country,  the  great  sage,  sitting 
at  the  foot  of  the  Bodhi-tree,  reached  the  supreme  enlighten- 

13  ment  on  the  full-moon  day  of  the  month  Vesakha.3     Seven 
weeks  he  tarried  there,  mastering  his  senses/  while  that  he 
himself  knew  the  high  bliss  of  deliverance  and  let  (others) 

14  behold  its  felicity.5     Then  he  went  to  BaranasI  and  set  rolling 
the  wheel  of  the  law ;  and  while  he  dwelt  there  through  the 
rain-months,    he    brought    sixty    (hearers)     to    arahantship.6 

15  When  he  had  sent  forth  these  bhikkhus  to  preach  the  doctrine, 
and   when  he  had  converted  the  thirty  companions  of  the 

1  The  ten  parami.     Cf.  Jat.  i,  p.  20  foil.    The  idea  is  late  and  not 
found  in  the  four  Nikayas.     See  RHYS  DAVIDS,    Buddhist  India, 
p.  177  ;  KERN,  Manual  of  Indian  Buddhism,  p.  66. 

2  Buddh  Gaya  or  Bodh  Gaya  in  Gaya  district,  Bengal. 

3  The  second  month  in  the  ordinary  Indian  lunar  year,  answering 
in  the  time  of  Buddha  to  part  of  March  and  part  of  April.      The 
names  of  the  Indian  lunar  months  are  as  follows  :— 

(1)  Citta  =  February  :  March  or  March  :  April. 

(2)  Vesakha        =  March:  April  or  April:  May. 

(3)  Jettha  =  April:  May  or  May:  June. 

(4)  A sa] ha  =  May:  June  or  June:  July. 

(5)  S  a  van  a  =  June  :  July  or  July  :  August. 

(6)  Potthapada  =  July  :  August  or  August :  September. 

(7)  Assayuja       =  August:  September  or  September:  October. 

(8)  Kattika        =  September:  October  or  October:  November. 

(9)  Maggasira  =  October:  November  or  November:  December. 

(10)  Phussa          =  November:  December  or  December:  January. 

(11)  Magha  =  December:  January  or  January  :  February. 

(12)  Phagguna    =  January:  February  or  February :  March. 
See  FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p.  6. 

4  Vasi.     A  play  on  this  word  and  vasi  'he  tarried '. 

5  With  the  whole  passage  cf.  Mah.  ed.,  p.  iii. 

6  Satthim  arahatam    aka.      Arahatam    as  a  gen.  plural  is 
dependent  on  the  numeral.     Literally  :  he  made  sixty  arahants. 


I.  24  The  Visit  of  the  Tathdgata  3 

company  of  Bhadda 1  then  did  the  Master  dwell  at  Uruvela  16 
the  winter  through,  for  the   sake   of  converting  the  thou- 
sand   jatilas2    led    by    Kassapa,    making    them    ripe     (for 
deliverance) . 

Now  since  a  great  sacrifice  by  Kassapa  of  Uruvela  was  near  17 
at  hand,  and  since  he  saw  that  this  latter  would  fain  have  him 
away,3  he,  the  victorious  over  enemies,  went  to  seek  alms  18 
among  the  Northern   Kurus ; 4  and  when  he  had  eaten  his 
meal  at  evening  time  near  the  lake  Anotatta,5  the  Conqueror,  19 
in  the  ninth  month  of  his  buddhahood,  at  the  full  moon  of 
Phussa,6  himself  set  forth  for  the  isle  of  Lanka,  to  win  Lanka 
for  the  faith.7     For  Lanka  was  known  to  the  Conqueror  as  20 
a  place  where  his  doctrine  should  (thereafter)  shine  in  glory ; 
and  (he  knew  that)  from  Lanka,  filled  with  the  yakkhas,  the 
yakkhas  must  (first)  be  driven  forth.8 

And  he  knew  also  that  in  the  midst  of  Lanka,  on  the  fair  21 
river  bank,  in  the  delightful  Mahanaga  garden,  three  yojanas 
long  and  a  yojana  wide,  the  (customary)  meeting-place  for  22 
the    yakkhas,   there    was    a    great    gathering    of    (all)    the 
yakkhas  dwelling  in  the  island.     To  this  great  gathering  of  23 
that  yakkhas  went  the  Blessed  One,  and  there,  in  the  midst  of 
that  assembly,  hovering  in  the  air  over  their  heads,  at  the  24 
place  of  the  (future)   Mahiyangana-thupa,9  he  struck  terror 

1  For  the   conversion  of  the  Timsa  Bhaddavaggiya  see  M.V. 
1.14. 

2  J  a  til  a,   ascetics  wearing  the  hair  long  and  matted.    See  M.V. 
I.  15  ff. 

3  Lit.  after  he  had  known  this  latter's  wish  that  he  should  not  come. 

4  The  Uttara  Kuru  are  a  half-mythological  people,  dwelling  in 
the  north  of  India. 

5  One  of  the  seven  great  lakes,  situated  in  the  Himalaya  mountains. 

6  The  tenth  month  of  the  lunar  year.     See  note  on  1.  12. 

7  Lit.  to  purify,  to  cleanse  (visodhetum).     Lanka  =  Ceylon. 

8  From    the    nata    (N.  Si.  F.)    in    the    first  line   another  nata 
(N.  PL  M.)  must  be  understood  with  yakkha   nibbasiya   (Part. 
Fut.  Pass.,  Skr.  nir-vas,  Caus.)  in  the  second  line  of  the  verse,  to 
complete  the  sentence. 

9  According  to  tradition  the  Bintenne-dagaba  (TENNENT,  Ceylon, 
ii,  pp.  420-421),  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Mahawseliganga,which  is 
called  m  ah  a  gang  a  or  simply  gang  a  in  the  Mah. 

B2 


4  Mahavamsa  1. 25 

25  to  their  hearts  by  rain,  storm,  darkness  and  so  forth.1     The 
yakkhas,  overwhelmed  by  fear,  besought  the  fearless  Van- 
quisher to  release  them  from  terrors,  and   the  Vanquisher, 

26  destroyer  of  fear,2  spoke  thus  to  the  terrified  yakkhas  :  '  I  will 
banish  this  your  fear  and  your  distress,  O  yakkhas,  give  ye  here 

27  to  me  with  one  accord  a  place  where  I  may  sit  down/     The 
yakkhas  thus  answered  the  Blessed  One :  '  We  all,  O  Lord, 
give  you  even  the  whole  of  our  island.     Give  us  release  from 

28  our  fear/     Then,  when  he  had  destroyed  their  terror,  cold 
and  darkness,  and  had  spread  his  rug  of  skin  3  on  the  ground 

29  that  they  bestowed  on  him,  the  Conqueror,  sitting  there,  made 
the  rug  to  spread  wide,  while  burning  flame  surrounded  it. 
Daunted  by  the  burning  heat  thereof  and  terrified,  they  stood 

30  around  on  the  border.     Then  did  the  Saviour  cause  the  pleasant 
Giridipa  4  to  come  here  near  to  them,  and  when  they  had  settled 

31  there,  he  made  it  return  to  its  former  place.     Then  did  the 
Saviour  fold  his  rug  of  skin;   the  devas  assembled,  and  in 

32  their  assembly  the  Master  preached  them  the  doctrine.     The 
conversion  of  many  kotis  of  living  beings  took  place,5  and 
countless  were  those  who  came  unto  the  (three)  refuges  and 
the  precepts  of  duty.6 

1  Lit.  he  made  for  them  a  means  of  terror,  consisting  of  rain,  storm, 
darkness  and  so  forth. 

2  Lit.  who  confers  fearlessness  (or  freedom  from  peril),  a  play  on  the 
words  a  b  hay  a  and  bhaya.    See  37.  30. 

3  Lit.  piece  of  hide. 

4  It  would  be  a  mistake  to  look  for  a  clear  geographical  state- 
ment.   The  underlying  notion  here  expressed  is  simply  that  the 
yakkhas  were  driven  back  to  the  highlands  (giri)  in  the  interior 
of  the  island.     They  are  still  to  be  found  in  Ceylon  in  later  times. 
The  meaning  of  dip  a  was  formerly  a  wider  one  ;  a  later  tradition  has 
brought  it  to  mean  'island'  in  our  sense.    Cf.  also  Nagadipa  as 
name  of  a  part  of  Ceylon  itself  (1.  47  with  note). 

8  The  term  dhammabhisamaya  (see  CHILDEKS,  P.  Z>.,  s.  v.) 
means  '  the  attainment  by  an  unconverted  man  of  one  of  the  four 
paths '  (of  sanctification).  Koti  is  an  indefinite  great  number,  accord- 
ing to  the  Indian  system  equal  to  ten  millions. 

6  Saranesu  ca  silesu  thita  is  .the  expression  for  the  adherence 
of  the  laity.  They  take  their  refuge  (sarana)  in  the  Buddha,  his 
doctrine  and  his  community,  and  undertake  to  keep  certain  binding 
commandments.  See  notes  to  1.  62. 


I.  44  The  Visit  of  the  Tathagata  5 

The  prince   of   devas,  Mahasumana  of   the  Sumanakuta-  33 
mountain,1  who  had  attained  to  the  fruit  of  entering  into 
the  path  of  salvation,2  craved  of  him  who  should  be  worshipped, 
something  to  worship.     The  Conqueror,  the  (giver  of)  good  to  34 
living  beings,  he  who  had  pure  and  blue-black  locks,  passing  his 
hand  over  his  (own)  head,  bestowed  on  him  a  handful  of  hairs. 
And  he,  receiving  this  in  a  splendid  golden  urn,  when  he  had  35 
laid  the  hairs  upon  a  heap  of  many-coloured  gems,  seven  cubits 
round,  piled  up  at  the  place  where  the  Master  had  sat,  covered  36 
them  over  with  a  thupa  of  sapphire  and  worshipped  them. 

When  the  Sambuddha  had  died,  the  thera  named  Sarabhu,  37 
disciple  of  the  thera  Sariputta,  by  his  miraculous  power  received, 
even  from  the  funeral  pyre,  the  collar-bone  of  the  Conqueror  and  38 
brought  it  hither  (to  Lanka),  and,  with  the  bhikkhus  all  around 
him,  he  there  laid  it  in  that  same  cetiya,  covered  it  over  with  39 
golden-coloured  stones,3  and  (then  he),  the  worker  of  miracles, 
having  made  the  thupa  twelve  cubits  4  high,  departed  again  from 
thence.     The  son  of  king  Devanampiyatissa's  brother,  named  40 
Uddhaculabhaya,  saw  the  wondrous  cetiya  and  (again)  covered  41 
it  over  and  made  it  thirty  cubits  high.     The  king  Dutthaga- 
mani,  dwelling  there  while  he  made  war  upon  the  Damilas, 
built  a  mantle  cetiya  over  it  eighty  cubits  high.     Thus  was  42 
the  Mahiyangana-thupa  completed.     When  he  had  thus  made  43 
our  island  a  fit  dwelling-place  for   men,  the  mighty  ruler, 
valiant  as  are  great  heroes,  departed  for  Uruvela. 

Here  ends  the  Visit  to  Mahiyahgana. 

Now    the    most   compassionate    Teacher,   the   Conqueror,  44 
rejoicing  in  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world,  when  dwelling 


1  Sumanakuta  is  the  Adam's  Peak. 

2  Sotapatti  is  the  stage  of  a  sotapanna  '  who  has  entered  the 
stream ',  who  has  attained  to  the  first  grade  of  sanctification,  a  con- 
verted man.    As  to  the  second  and  third  grade  see  the  notes  to  15. 18 
and  13.  17. 

3  On  medavannapasana,  stones  of  the  (golden,  or  cream)  colour 
of  fat,  fat-coloured,  see  Mah.  ed.,  p.  355. 

*  See  note  to  15.  167. 


6  Mahavamsa  1. 45 

45  at  Jetavana l  in  the  fifth  year  of  his  buddhahood,  saw  that  a 
war,  caused  by  a  gem-set  throne,  was  like  to  come  to  pass 

46  between  the  nagas  Mahodara  and  Culodara,  uncle  and  nephew, 
and  their  followers ;  and  he,  the  Sambuddha,  on  the  uposatha- 

47  day  of  the  dark  half  of  the  month  Citta,  in  the  early  morning, 
took  his  sacred  alms-bowl  and  his  robes,  and,  from  compassion 
for  the  nagas,  sought  the  Nagadlpa.2 

48  That  same  naga  Mahodara  was  then  a  king,  gifted  with 
miraculous   power,   in  a   naga-kingdom   in   the  ocean,  that 

49  covered  half  a  thousand  yojanas.     His  younger  sister  had  been 
given  (in  marriage)  to  the  naga-king  on  the  Karma  vaddhamana- 

50  mountain ;  her  son  was  Culodara.     His  mothers  father  had 
given  to  his  mother  a  splendid  throne  of  jewels,  then  the  naga 

51  had  died  and  therefore  this  war  of  nephew  with  uncle  was 
threatening ;  and  also  the  nagas  of  the  mountains  were  armed 
with  miraculous  power. 

52  The  deva  named  Samiddhisumana  took  a  rajayatana-tree 

53  standing  in  Jetavana,  his  own  fair  habitation,  and,  holding  it 
like  a  parasol  over  the  Conqueror,  he,  with  the  Teacher's  leave, 

54  attended  him  to  that  spot  where  he  had  formerly  dwelt.3    That 
very  deva  had  been,  in  his  latest  birth,  a  man  in  Nagadlpa. 
On  the  spot  where  thereafter  the  rajayatana-tree  stood,  he 

55  saw  paccekabuddhas  taking  their  meal.     And  at  the  sight  his 
heart  was  glad  and  he  offered  branches  to  cleanse  the  alms- 

56  bowl.     Therefore  he  was  reborn  in  that  tree  in  the  pleasant 
Jetavana-garden,  and  it  (the  tree)  stood  afterwards  outside  at 

57  the  side  of  the  gate-rampart.4     The  God  of  all  gods  saw  (in 
this)  an  advantage  for  that  deva,  and,  for  the  sake  of  the 
good  which  should  spring  (therefrom)  for  our  land,  he  brought 
him  hither  (to  Lanka)  together  with  his  tree. 

58  Hovering  there  in  mid-air  above  the  battlefield  the  Master, 

1  A  park  and  monastery  near  Savatthi  in  the  Kosala  country  (see 
VOGEL,  J.R.A.S.  1908,  p.  971  foil.),  presented  to  the  Master  by  Anatha- 
pindika.    Jdt.  i.  92  foil. 

2  Apparently  the  north-western  part  of  Ceylon.     See  20.  25,  with 
the  note. 

3  I.  e.  to  Nagadlpa. 

4  Kotthaka  '  battlemented  dwelling  or  gateway '.     See  M.V.  VIII. 
15.  5  ;  C.V.  IV.  4.  6  ;  S.B.E.  xvii,  p.  219,  n.  1 ;   xx,  p.  11,  n.  1. 


I.  69  The  Visit  of  the  Tathagata  7 

who  drives  away  (spiritual)  darkness,  called  forth  dread  darkness 
over  the  nagas.     Then  comforting  those  who  were  distressed  59 
by  terror  he  once  again  spread  light   abroad.     When  they 
saw   the   Blessed    One    they   joyfully  did   reverence   to  the 
Master's  feet.     Then  preached  the  Vanquisher  to  them  the  60 
doctrine  that  begets  concord,  and  both  [nagas]  gladly  gave 
up  the   throne   to   the   Sage.1     When   the   Master,    having  61 
alighted  on  the  earth,  had  taken  his  place  on  a  seat  there, 
and  had  been  refreshed  with  celestial  food  and  drink  by  the 
naga-kings,  he,  the  Lord,  established  in  the  (three)  refuges 2  62 
and  in  the  moral   precepts 3  eighty  kotis  of  snake- spirits, 
dwellers  in  the  ocean  and  on  the  mainland. 

The  naga-king  Maniakkhika  of  KalyanI,4  mother's  brother  63 
to  the  naga  Mahodara,  who  had  come  thither  to  take  part  in 
the  battle,  and  who,  aforetime,  at  the  Buddha's  first  coming,  64 
having  heard  the  true  doctrine  preached,  had  become  estab- 
lished in  the  refuges  and  in  the  moral  duties,  prayed  now  to 
the   Tathagata:    ' Great  is   the   compassion  that  thou   hast  65 
shown  us  here,  O  Master !     Hadst  thou  not  appeared  we  had 
all  been  consumed  to  ashes.    May  thy  compassion  yet  light  also  66 
especially  on  me,  O  thou  who  art  rich  in  loving-kindness,  in 
that  thou  shalt  come  yet  again  hither  to  my  dwelling-country , 

0  thou  peerless  one.'     When  the  Lord  had  consented  by  his  67 
silence  to  come  thither,  he  planted  the  rajayatana-tree  on  that 
very  spot  as  a  sacred  memorial,  and  the  Lord  of  the  Worlds  68 
gave  over  the  rajayatana-tree  and  the  precious  throne-seat  to 
the  naga-kiugs  to  do  homage  thereto.     '  In  remembrance  that  69 

1  have   used  these  do   homage    to   them,5   ye   naga-kings ! 

1  I.  e.  the  Buddha. 

2  I.  e.  buddha,  dhamma,  samgha'the  Buddha,  his  doctrine  and 
his  community'.     The  Buddhist  confession  of  faith  consists  in  the 
words   buddham   saranam  gacchami,  dhammam  s.  g.,  sam- 
gham  s.g.  'I  take  my  refuge  in  the  B.  &c.' 

8  The  pa  iic  a  silani,  which  are  binding  on  all  Buddhists,  are 
abstention  from  destruction  of  life,  theft,  adultery,  lying,  and  from 
the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors.  Cf.  note  to  18.  10. 

4  Now  Kselani,   name  of  a  river  which  falls  into  the  sea  near 
Colombo. 

5  Lit.  '  Do  homage  to  them  as  to  a  memorial  consisting  in  objects 
used  by  me.' 


8  Mahavamsa  i.  70 

This,  well  beloved,  will  bring  to  pass  blessing-  and  happiness 

70  for  you.'     When  the  Blessed  One  had  uttered  this  and  other 
exhortation  to  the  nagas,  he,  the  compassionate  saviour  of  all 
the  world,  returned  to  Jetavana. 

Here  ends  the  Visit  to  Nagadipa. 

71  In  the  third  year  after  this,  the  naga-king  Maniakkhika 
sought  out  the  Sambuddha  and  invited  him,  together  with  the 

72  brotherhood.     In  the  eighth  year  after  he  had  attained  to 
buddhahood,  when  the  Vanquisher  was  dwelling  in  Jetavana, 

73  the  Master,  set  forth  surrounded  by  five  hundred  bhikkhus,  on 
the  second  day  of  the  beautiful  month  of  Vesakha,  at  the  full- 
moon,  and  when  the  hour  of  the  meal  was  announced  the 

74  Vanquisher,  prince  of  the  wise,  forthwith  putting  on  his  robe 
and  taking  his  alms-bowl  went  to  the  Kalyanl  country,  the 

75  habitation  of  Maniakkhika.     Under  a  canopy  decked  with 
gems,  raised  upon  the  spot  where  (afterwards)  the  Kalyam- 
cetiya  was  built,  he  took  his  place,  together  with  the  brother- 

76  hood  of  bhikkhus,  upon  a  precious  throne-seat.     And,  greatly 
rejoicing,  the  naga-king  with  his  following  served  celestial 
food,  both  hard  and  soft,   to  the   king  of  truth,  the  Con- 
queror, with  his  followers. 

77  When  the  Teacher,  compassionate  to  the  whole  world,  had 
preached  the  doctrine  there,  he  rose,  the  Master,  and  left  the 

78  traces  of  his  footsteps  plain  to  sight  on  Sumanakuta.   And  after 
he  had  spent  the  day  as  it  pleased  him  at  the  foot  of  this 
mountain,  with  the  brotherhood,  he  set  forth  for  Dlghavapi.1 

79  And  there  the  Master  seated  himself  with  the  brotherhood  at 
the  place  where  the  cetiya  (thereafter)  stood,  and  gave  himself 

80  up  to  meditation,  to  consecrate  the  spot.    Then  arose  the  Great 
Sage  from  that  place,  and  knowing  well  which  places  were  fit 
and  which  unfit  he  went  to  the  place  of  the  (later)  Mahamegha- 

81  vanarama.2     After  he  had  seated  himself  with  his  disciples  at 

1  The  Dlghavapi  is  probably  the  Kandiya-kattu  tank  in  the  Eastern 
Province,  about  30  miles  SSW.  from  Batticaloa.    A  large  dagaba  is 
Baid  to  be  in  the  neighbourhood   of  the  tank.    PARKER,   Ancient 
Ceylon,  pp.  318,  396. 

2  The  Mahameghavana  was  a  park  south  of  the  capital  Anuradha- 


I.  84  The  Visit  of  the  Tathdgata  9 

the  place,  where  the  sacred  Bodhi-tree  came  afterwards  to  be, 
the  Master  gave  himself  up  to  meditation  ;  and  likewise  there 
where  the  Great  Thupa1  stood  (in  later  days)  and  there  also  82 
where  (afterwards)  the  thupa  in  the  Thuparama  2  stood.     Then 
when  he  rose  up  from  meditation  he  went  to  the  place  of  the 
(later)  Silacetiya,3  and  after  the  Leader  of  the  assembly  (of  83 
bhikkhus)  had  uttered  exhortation  to  the  assembly  of  devas, 
he,  the  Enlightened,  who  has  trodden  all  the  paths  of  en- 
lightenment, returned  thence  to  Jetavana. 

Thus  the  Master  of  boundless  wisdom,  looking  to  the  84 
salvation  of  Lanka  in  time  to  come,  and  knowing  in  that  time 
the  highest  good  for  the  hosts  of  asuras  and  nagas  and  so 
forth  in  Lanka,  visited  this  fair  island  three  times, — he,  the 
compassionate  Enlightener  of  the  world; — therefore  this  isle, 
radiant  with  the  light  of  truth,  came  to  high  honour  among 
faithful  believers. 

Here  ends  the  Visit  to  Kalyani. 

Here  ends  the  first  chapter,  called  '  The  Visit  of  the 
Tathagata  \  in  the  Mabavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

pura  and  was  presented  to  the  priesthood  as  an  arama  or  monastery 
by  the  king  Devanampiyatissa.    See  15.  8  foil,  and  note  to  11.  2. 

1  The  Ruwanwseli-dagaba  of  Anuradhapura.     SMITHER,  Architec- 
tural Remains,  Anurddhapura,  p.  23  foil.;  PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon, 
p.  279  foil. 

2  A  monastery  in  Anuradhapura.    SMITHER,  1.  c.,  p.  1  foil. ;  PARKER, 
1.  c.,  p.  263  foil.    Cf.  note  to  17.  30. 

3 1.  e. '  Stone-cetiya,'  now  Selacaitya  in  Anuradhapura.  SMITHER,  I.  c., 
p.  55 ;  PARKER,  I  c.,  p.  297  foil. 


CHAPTER  II 


THE   RACE   OF  MAHASAMMATA 

1  SPRUNG  of  the  race  of  king  Mahilsammata  was  the  Great 
Sage.     For  in  the  beginning  of  this  age  of  the  world  there 

2  was  a  king  named  Mahasammata,  and  (the  kings)  Roja  and 
Vararoja,  and  the  two  Kalyanakas,1  Uposatha  and  Mandhatar 

3  and  the  two,  Caraka  and  Upacara,  and  Cetiya  and  Mucala  and 
he  who  bore  the  name  Mahamucala,  Mucalinda  and  Sagara 

4  and    he    who    bore    the    name    Sagaradeva;     Bharata    and 
Anglrasa  and  Ruci  and  also  Suruci,  Patapa  and  Mahapatapa 

5  and  the  two  Panadas   likewise,   Sudassana  and   Neru,  two 

6  and   two ; 2    also   Accima.     His    sons   and    grandsons,  these 
twenty-eight  princes  whose  lifetime  was  immeasurably  (long), 

7  dwelt  in  Kusavatl,  Rajagaha,  and  Mithila.3     Then  followed 
a   hundred   kings,4   and   (then)   fifty-six,    and    (then)   sixty, 

1  I.  e.  Kalyana  and  Varakalyana.    Dip.  3.  6. 

2  Panada  and  Mahapanada,  Sudassana  and  Mahasudassana,  Neru 
and  Mahaneru. 

8  Kusavatl  is  the  later  Kusinara.  See  note  on  3.  2.  Rajagaha, 
now  Rajgir,  was  the  capital  of  Magadha,  and  Mithila,  situated  in 
the  Bengal  district  Tirhut,  that  of  Videha. 

4  The  dynasties  from  Accima  to  Kalarajanaka  are  dealt  with  in 
detail  in  Dip.  3.  14-37.  Besides  (i)  the  number  of  the  princes  sprung 
of  each  dynasty,  the  (ii)  capital  cities  of  each  period,  and  (iii)  the 
last  king  of  each  line  are  mentioned.  The  numbers  and  names  are 
these : 

100  at  Pakula  (?)        the  last  being  Arimdana. 
56  ,    Ayujjha  ,  „      Duppasaha. 


60 

84,COO 
36 
32 
28 
22 


Baranasi 
Kapilanagara 
Hatthipura 
Ekacakkhu 


Ajitajana. 
Brahmadatta. 
Kambalavasabha. 
Purindadadeva. 


Vajira  „  „      Sadhina. 

Madhura  „  ,,      Dhammagutta. 


II.  15 


TJie  Eace  of  Mahasammata 


11 


eighty-four  thousand,  and  then  further  thirty-six,  thirty-two,  8 
twenty-eight,  then  further  twenty-eight,  eighteen,  seventeen, 
fifteen,  fourteen ;   nine,  seven,  twelve,  then  further  twenty-  9 
five ;  and  (again)  twenty-five,  twelve  and  (again)  twelve,  and 
yet  again  nine  and  eighty-four  thousand  with  Makhadeva  10 
coming  at  the  head,  and  (once  more)  eighty-four  thousand 
with    Kalarajanaka   at   the   head ;    and   sixteen   even   unto  1 1 
Okkaka;    these  descendants  (of  Mahasammata)   reigned  in 
groups  in  their  due  order,  each  one  in  his  capital. 

The  prince  Okkamukha  was  Okkaka's  eldest  son;  Nipuna,  12 
Candima,    Candamukha    and    Sivisamjaya,   the    great   king  13 
Vessantara,  Jali,  and  Sihavahana  and  Sihassara:  these  were 
his  sons  and  grandsons.     Eighty-two  thousand  in  number  were  1 4 
the  royal  sons  and  grandsons  of  king  Sihassara;   Jayasena 
was  the  last  of  them.     They  are  known  as  the  Sakya  kings  15 
of  Kapilavatthu.1     The  great  king  Slhahanu  was  Jayasena's 


18  at  Aritthapura     the  last  being  Sitthi. 

17 

,  Indapatta            „            „      Brahmadeva. 

15 

,  Ekacakkhu           „ 

Baladatta. 

14 

,  Kosambi               ,, 

,      Bhaddadeva. 

9 

,  Kannagoccha      ,, 

,      Naradeva. 

7 

,  Rojananagara      ,, 

,      Mahinda. 

12 

,  Campa                 „ 

,      Nagadeva. 

25 

,  Mithila                 „ 

,      Buddhadatta. 

25 

,  Rajagaha             „ 

,      Dipamkara. 

12 

,  Takkasila 

,      Talissara. 

12 

,  Kusinara              ,, 

,      Purinda. 

9 

,  Malitthiya           ,, 

,      Sagaradeva. 

The  son  of  Sagaradeva  was  Makhadeva  ;  the  dynasty  of  Makhadeva 
(84,000)  reigned  in  Mithila.  The  last  prince  was  Nemiya,  father  of 
Kalarajanaka.  These  were  followed  by  Samamkura,  then  by  Asoka ; 
this  was  followed  by  a  dynasty  of  84,000  princes  reigning  in  Baranasl. 
The  last  was  Vijaya.  He  was  followed  by  Vijitasena,  Dhammasena, 
Nagasena,  Samatha,  Disampati,  Renu,  Kusa,  Mahakusa,  Navaratha, 
Dasaratha,  Rama,  Bilaratha,  Cittadassi,  Atthadassi,  Sujata,  Okkaka, 
and  so  on.  The  same  in  Atthakatha,  Mah.  T.  81n-8333.  The  Kanib. 
Mah.,  v.  729-789,  follows  the  Tika. 

1  The  site  of  Kapilavatthu,  the  capital  of  the  Sakya  tribe  and 
Gotama  Buddha's  birthplace,  is  probably  the  present  Tilaura  Kot  in 
Nepal.  See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  18  n. 


12  Mahavamsa  11.  16 

16  son,  and   Jayasena's  daughter   was    named   Yasodhara.     In 

1  7  Devadaha  there  was  a  prince  named  Devadahasakka,  Anjana 

and  Kaccana  were  his  two  children.     Kaccana  was  the  first 

18  consort  of    Slhahanu,   but    the   Sakka   Anjana's    queen  was 
Yasodhara.     Anjana  had  two  daughters,  Maya  and  Pajapatl, 

19  and    also    two    sons,    Dandapani    and   the    Sakiya    Suppa- 

20  buddha.     But   Slhahanu  had  five  sons    and  two  daughters: 
Suddhodana,  Dhotodana,  Sakka-,  Sukka-,1    and  Amitodana, 
and  Amita  and  Pamita ;    these  were  the  five  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

21  The  royal  consort  of  the  Sakka  Suppabuddha  was  Amita; 

22  she  had  two  children  :  Bhaddakaccana  and  Devadatta.     Maya 
and  Pajapatl  were  Suddhodana's  queens,  and  the  son  of  the 
great  king  Suddhodana  and  of  Maya  was  our  Conqueror. 

23  Of  this  race  of  Mahasammata,  thus  succeeding,  was  born, 
in  unbroken  line,  the  Great  Sage,  he  who  stands  at  the  head 

24  of   all   men   of    lordly   birth.      The   consort   of    the   prince 
Siddhattha,  the  Bodhisatta,  was  Bhaddakaccana ;  her  son  was 
Rahula. 

25  Bimbisara  and   the   prince   Siddhattha  were  friends,  and 

26  friends  likewise  were  the  fathers  of  both.     The  Bodhisatta 
was  five  years  older  than  Bimbisara;  twenty-nine  years  old 

27  was  he  when  he  left  (his  father's)  house.      When  he  had 
striven  six  years  and  thereafter  had  attained  to  wisdom,  he, 

28  being  thirty-five  years  old,  visited  Bimbisara.     The  virtuous 
Bimbisara  was  fifteen  years  old  when  he  was  anointed  king 

29  by  his  own  father,  and  when  sixteen  years  had  gone  by  since 
his  coming  to  the  throne,  the  Master  preached  his  doctrine. 

30  Two  and  fifty  years  he  reigned;   fifteen  years  of  his  reign 
passed  before  the  meeting  with  the  Conqueror,  and  yet  thirty- 
seven  years  (of   his  reign)  followed  in  the   lifetime  of  the 
Tathagata. 

31  Bimbisara's  son,  the  foolish  Ajatasattu,  reigned  thirty-two 

32  years  after  he,   the  traitor,  had  slain   (his  father).     In  the 
eighth  year  of  Ajatasattu  the  Sage  entered  into  nibbana  and 
thereafter  did  he,  Ajatasattu,  reign  yet  twenty-four  years. 

1  I.  e.  Sakkodana  and  Sukkodana. 


II.  33  TJie  Eace  of  Mahasammata  13 

The  Tathagata,  who  has  reached  the  summit  of  all  virtue,  33 
yielded  himself  up,  albeit  free,  into  the  power  of  imperma- 
nence.    He  who  shall  contemplate  this  (same)  dread-begetting 
impermanence  shall  attain  unto  the  end  of  suffering. 

Here  ends  the  second  chapter,  called  e  The  Race  of  Maha- 
sammata ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and 
emotion  of  the  pious. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  FIRST  COUNCIL 

1  WHEN  the  Conqueror  the  incomparable,  he  who  has  the 
five  eyes/  had  lived  eighty-four  years  and  had  fulfilled  all  his 

2  duties  in  the  world,  in  all  ways,  then  at  Kusinara2  in  the 
holy  place  between  the  two  sala-trees,3  on  the  full-moon  day 
of   the   month   Vesakha,    was   the  light   of  the  world   ex- 
tinguished. 

3  Beyond  all  reckoning  in  numbers,  did  bhikkhus  assemble 
there  and  khattiyas  and  brahmans,  vessas  and  suddas,  and 

4  gods  likewise.     Seven   hundred  thousand   leading  bhikkhus 
were  among  them,  the  thera  Mahakassapa  was  at  that  time 
the  samghatthera. 

5  When  he  had  performed  all  rites  due  to  the  (dead)  body  of 
the  Master  and  the  bodily  relics,  the  great  thera,  desiring  that 

6  the  doctrine  of  the  Master  might  long  endure,  did,  seven  days 
after  the  Lord  of  the  World,  gifted  with  the  ten  powers,4  had 
passed  into  nibbana,  bethinking  him  of  the  evil  words  of  the 

7  aged  Subhadda  5  and  also  bethinking  him  that  he  (the  Master) 

1  The   five  eyes   possessed  by  the   Buddha  ara  the  bodily  eyes 
(mamsacakkhu),  the  heavenly  eye  (dibba0)  by  which  he  sees  every- 
thing that  comes  to  pass  in  the  universe,  the  eye  of  understanding 
(knowledge),  the  eye  of  omniscience,  and  finally  the  Buddha-eye  by 
means  of  which  he  beholds  the  saving  truth. 

2  A  town  of  the  clan  of  the  Mallas,  in  the  territory  of  the  present 
Nepal. 

3  Shorea  Robusta. 

4  On    the  dasa    balani,   ten  kinds  of  knowledge,   peculiar  to 
a  Buddha,  see  KERN,  Manual  of  Indian  Buddhism,  p.  62 ;  CHILDERS, 
P./).,  s.v.  balam. 

0  Vuddha  =  vuddhapabbajita  'who  had  not  become  a  monk 
till  he  was  old  '.  On  the  speech  of  Subhadda,  see  C.V.  XL  1. 1  =  Vin. 
PH.  ii.  284.  KERN,  I  I,  pp.  101-102. 


in.  15  The  First  Council  15 

had  given  him  his  garment/  and  had  (thereby)  made  him  equal 
with  himself,  and  (bethinking  him)  that  the  Sage  had  com- 
manded the  establishing  of  the  holy  truth,  and  (lastly)  that  8 
the  Sambuddha's  consent  existed  to  make  a  compilation  of  the 
holy  dhamma2  appointed  to  this  end  five  hundred  eminent  9 
bhikkhus,  who  had  overcome  the  asavas,3  repeaters  of  the  nine- 
fold doctrine  and  versed  in  all  its  separate  parts ;  but  there  was 
one  less  (than  five  hundred)  because  of  the  thera  Ananda.4 
And  the  thera  Ananda  also,  again  and  again  entreated  by  10 
the  bhikkhus,  resolved  to  (join  with  them  in)  that  compilation 
of  the  dhamma,  for  it  was  not  possible  without  him. 

When  these  theras,  pitiful  toward  the  whole  world,  had  11 
passed  half  a  month — seven  days  in  the  funeral  ceremonies 
and  seven  in  homage  of  the  relics — and  had  resolved  thus :  1 2 
'  Spending  the  rainy  season  in  Rajagaha,  we  will  make  a  com- 
pilation of  the  dhamma,  no  other  (monks)  must  be  permitted 
to  dwell  there ' ;  and  when  they  had  made  their  pilgrimage  1 3 
over  Jambudlpa,5   consoling  here   and   there   the   sorrowing 
people,  they,  moved  with  desire  that  the  good  might  long  14 
endure,6  betook  them  in  the  bright  half  of  the  month  Asalha 
to  Rajagaha,  (the  city)  richly  provided  with  the  four  things 
needful.7 

After  the  theras,  with  Mahakassapa  at  the  head,  unwavering  1 5 
in    virtue,  familiar   with   the   thought   of   the    Sambuddha, 


1  The  Buddha  gave  his  garment  to  Kassapa.   On  the  second  saram 
depend    civaradanam   'the   giving   of  the   robe',   and   samatte 
thapanam  'putting  on  a  footing  of  equality ',  and  then   further 
anuggaham  katam  and  anumatim  satim  (Ace.  Si.  F.  of  Part. 
Pres.  of  atthi).     Cf.  Mah.  ed.,  pp.  xxx  and  li. 

2  Katum  saddhammasamgitim.     Cf.  the  note  on  3.  17. 

3  Khinasava  'one  in  whom  the  four  asavas  are  extinct'  is  the 
epithet  of  an  arahant.   On  asava,  see  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues  of  the 
Buddha,  i.  92 ;  ii.  28. 

4  A  place  must  be  kept  for  Ananda. 

5  The  continent  of  India. 

6  A  play  upon  the  word  sukkapakkha,  used  in  the  sense,  'bright 
half  of  the  month,'  and  also  '  pure,  holy  side  or  party  '. 

7  The  four  pace ay a  of  a  bhikkhu  are  clothing,  food  given  as  alms, 
a  dwelling-place,  and  medicines. 


16  Mahavamsa  I  IT.  16 

1 6  had  arrived  at  that  place  to  spend  the  rainy  season  there,  they 
busied  themselves  during  the  first  of  the  rain-months  with 
repairing  all  the  dwellings,  when  they  had  announced  this  to 
Ajatasattu. 

1 7  When  the  repair  of  the  vihara  was  finished  they  said  to  the 

1 8  king  :   f  Now  we  will  hold  the  council/  l     To  the  question, 
'  What  should  be  done  ? '  they  answered :  '  A  place  (should  be  pro- 
vided) for  the  meetings/     When  the  king  had  asked  :  '  Where 
(these  were  to  be)  ? '  and  the  place  had  been  pointed  out  by  them, 

19  he  with  all  speed  had  a  splendid  hall  built  by  the  side  of  the 
Vebhara  Rock  by  the  entrance  of  the  Sattapanni  grotto,  (and 

20  it  was)  like  to  the  assembly-hall  of  the  gods.     When  it  was 
adorned  in  every  way  he  caused  precious  mats  to  be  spread 

2 1  according  to  the  number  of  the  bhikkhus.    Placed  on  the  south 
side  and  facing  the  north  a  lofty  and  noble  seat  was  prepared 

22  for  the  thera,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  hall  a  high  seat  was 
prepared  for  the  preacher,2  facing  the  east  and  worthy  of  the 
blessed  (Buddha)  himself. 

23  So  the  king  bade  them  tell  the  theras  :  cMy  work  is  finished,' 
and  the  theras  addressed  the  thera  Ananda,  the  joy-bringer  : 

24  t  To-morrow,  Ananda,  the  assembly  (comes  together) ;  it  be- 
hoves thee  not  to  take  part  in  it  since  thou  art  still  preparing 
thee  (for  the  highest  state),3  therefore  strive  thou,  unwearied 

25  in  good/      Thus  spurred  on,  the  thera  put  forth  due  effort 

1  Dhammasamgiti  is  the  term  for  assembly  of  the   church, 
council.    The  original  meaning  is  general  recitation  of  the  canonical 
texts  which,  indeed,   takes   place  in   an  assembly  of  the   church 
and  in  the  following  manner :    an  eminent  thera  recites  the  texts 
sentence  by  sentence  and  the  assembly  repeats  them  after  him  in 
chorus.   In  this  way  dhammasamgiti  is  connected  with  dhamma- 
samgaha,  by  which  we   understand  a  settling  or  redaction  of  the 
canonical  texts,  which  also  can  only  be  carried  out  in  the  manner 
stated.    Comp.  J.P.T.S.  1909,  pp.  31,  32. 

2  Thera sana    is    the    seat  for  the  president,   who  directs  the 
assembly;    dhammasana  the  same  for  the  monk  who  recites,  the 
word  uttama  is  to  be  taken  literally. 

3  Still  a  sekha,  i.e.  not  an  arahant,  who  has  reached  the  highest 
degree.    This  is  preceded  by  seven  grades  of  preparation ;  he  who  is 
still  at  one  of  these  is  sekha  'a  learner'.     See  J.P.T.S.  1909,  p.  217. 


in.  36  The  First  Council  17 

and  reached  the  state  of  an  arahant  without  being  confined 
to  any  one  of  the  four  postures.1 

On  the  second  day  of  the  second  month  of  the  rainy  season  26 
the  bhikkhus  met  together  in  that  splendid  hall.     Leaving  a  27 
fitting  place  vacant  for  Ananda,  the  arahants  seated  themselves 
on  chairs,  according  to  their  rank.     The  thera  Ananda,  to  make  28 
known  to  them  that  he  had  reached  the  state  of  an  arahant, 
went  not  with  them  thither.     But  when  some  asked  :  Where 
is  the  thera  Ananda  ?   he  took  the  seat  prepared  for  him,  29 
rising  out  of  the  ground  or  passing  through  the  air.2 

Together  the  theras  chose  the  thera  Upali  to  speak  for3  the  30 
vinaya,  for  the  rest  of  the  dhamma4  they  chose  Ananda. 
The  great  thera  (Mahakassapa)  laid  on  himself  (the  task)  of  3 1 
asking  questions   touching  the  vinaya  and  the  thera  Upali 
(was  ready)  to  explain  it. 

Sitting  in  the  thera's  chair,  the  former  asked  the  latter  the  32 
questions   touching   the  vinaya ;    and   Upali,  seated   in  the 
preacher's  chair,  expounded  (the  matter).     And  as  this  best  33 
master  of  the  vinaya  expounded  each  (clause)  in  turn  all  (the 
bhikkhus)  knowing  the  custom,  repeated  the  vinaya  after  him. 

Then  the  thera  (Mahakassapa)  taking  (the  task)  upon  himself  34 
questioned  concerning  the  dhamma,  him  5  the  chief  of  those 
who  had  most  often  heard   (the  word),  him  the   treasure- 
keeper6  of   the  Great   Seer   (the   Buddha);    and  the   thera  35 
Ananda,  taking  (the  task)  upon  himself,  taking  his  seat  in 
the  preacher's  chair,   expounded  the  whole  dhamma.     And  36 

1  Lit.  fiee  from  the  iriyapatha;  the  four  postures  of  an  ascetic 
are   understood  here.      They  are    described   as:    standing,   sitting, 
walking,  lying  down.     Ananda  became  an  arahant  at  the  moment 
when  he  was  on  the  point  of  lying  down. 

2  Lit.  '  the  path  of  the  light.'     Ananda  shows  that  he  can  use 
the  miraculous  powers  particular  to  an  arahant. 

3  Lit.  'as  burden  bearer  for.'     Cf.  B.R.,  Skt.  Wib.,  s.v.  dhuram- 
dhara  (4). 

4  The  vinaya    contains  the   rules   of    monastic    discipline,   the 
dhamma  the  dogmatic  teaching. 

5  I.  e.  Ananda. 

6  Kosarakkha,    according    to    the    Tika  =  dhammabhanda- 
garika,  i.e.  treasurer  of  the  truth  or  the  true  doctrine. 

C 


1 8  Mahavam sa  I II.  3  7 

all  the  (theras)  knowing  all  that  was  contained  in  the  doc- 
trine repeated  the  dhamma  in  'turn  after  the  sage  of  the 
Videha  country. 

37  Thus  in  seven  months  was  that  compiling  of  the  dhamma 
to  save  the  whole  world  completed  by  those  (theras)  bent  on 

38  the  whole  world's  salvation.     'The  thera  Mahakassapa  has 
made  the  blessed  Buddha's  message  to  endure  five  hundred 

39  years/  rejoicing  in  this  thought,  at  the  end  of  the  council, 

40  the  earth  encircled  by  the  ocean  trembled  six  times  and  many 
wondrous  signs  were  shown  in  the  world  in  many  ways.    Now 
since  the  canon  was  compiled  by  the  theras  it  was  called  the 

4 1  Thera  tradition.1     The  theras  who  had  held  the  First  Council 
and  had  (thereby)  brought  great  blessing  to  the  world,  having 
lived  their  allotted  span  of  life,  entered,  all,  into  nibbana. 

4  2  Also  the  theras  who  have  overcome  darkness  with  the  light  of 
insight,  those  great  shining  lights  in  the  conquest  of  the  world's 
darkness,  have  been  extinguished  by  the  dread  tempest  of 
death.  Therefore  will  the  wise  man  renounce  the  joy  of  life. 

Here  ends  the  third  chapter,  called  (  The  First  Council ',  in 
the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion  of 
the  pious. 

1  The  oldest  account  of  the  First  Council  is  contained  in  the  C.V.  XI 
(OLDENBERG,  the  Vin.  Pit.  ii,  p.  284  foil.) ;  Vinaya  Texts,  iii  (S.B.E. 
xx),  p.  370  foil. 


CHAPTEE  IV 

THE  SECOND  COUNCIL 

WHEN  Ajatasattu's  son  Udayabhaddaka l  had  slain  him  he,  1 
the   traitor,  reigned    sixteen   years.       Udayabhaddaka's    son  2 
Anuruddhaka  slew  (his  father)  and  Anuruddha's  son  named 
Munda  did  likewise.     Traitors  and  fools,  these  (sons)  reigned  3 
over  the  kingdom;  in  the  reign  of  these  two  (kings)  eight 
years  elapsed. 

Hun-la's  son  Nagadasaka  slew  his  father  and  then  did  the  4 
evildoer  reign  twenty-four  years. 

Then  were  the  citizens  wroth,  saying :  '  This  is  a  dynasty  5 
of  parricides/  and  when  they  had  banished  the  king  Nagada- 
saka they  met  together  and  (since)  the  minister  known  by  the  6 
name  Susunaga  was  proved  to  be  worthy,  they  anointed  him 
king,  mindful  of  the  good  of  all.    He  reigned  as  king  eighteen  7 
years.    His  son  Kalasoka  reigned  twenty-eight  years.    At  the  8 
end  of  the  tenth  year  of  Kalasoka's  reign  a  century  had  gone 
by  since  the  parinibbana  of  the  Sambuddha. 

At  that  time  in  Vesall  many  bhikkhus  of  the  Vajji-clan 2  9 
did   shamelessly   teach   that   the   Ten  Points 3  were  lawful, 
namely  '  Salt  in  the  horn',  '  Two  fingers'  breadth',  'Visiting  10 

1  In  the  Sinhalese  MSS.  this  name  appears  in  the  form  c  Udayi- 
bhaddaka1.     Cf.   D.   1.  5025  Udayibh0  or  Udayabh0   (E.  MULLER, 
J.P.T.S.  1888,  p.  14).  The  Dip.  4.  38,  5.  97,  11.  8  has  Uda-ya(bhadda). 

2  On  the  confederacy  of  the  Vajjis  see  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist 
India,  pp.  25-26.     On  Vesali,  ibid.,  p.  40.    According  to  V.  SMITH 
(Early  History  of  India,  p.  27,  n.  1 ;  J.R.A.S.  1902,  p.  267  foil.)  its 
site  is  the  modern  Basar  (N.  lat.  25°  58'  20",  E.  long.  85°  11'  30")  in 
the  District  Muzaffarpur,  north  of  Patna. 

5  The  history  of  the  Second  Council  is  also  given  in  the  C.V.  XII. 
Cf.  Vinaya  Texts,  iii  (S.B.E.  xx\  pp.  386  foil.  Here  C.V.  XII.  1.  9 ; 
2.  8)  the  single  points  are  explained: 

(i)  Sihgilonakappa,  the  custom  of  putting  salt  in  a  horn  vessel, 
in  order  to  season  unsalted  foods,  when  received. 

(ii)  Dvangulakappa,  the  custom  of  taking  the  midday  meal, 

c  2 


20  Malidvamsa  IV.  11 

the  village ',  '  Dwelling ',  '  Consent ',  ' Example', '  Unchurned 

1 1  milk ',    '  Unfermented   palm-wine ',    '  Seat   without   fringe ', 
<  Gold  and  so  forth '. 

When  this  came  to  the  ears  of  the  thera  Yasa,  the  son  of 

12  the  brahman  Kakandaka,  gifted   with  the  six   supernormal 
powers,1  who  was  wandering  about  in  the  Vajji  country,  he 
betook  himself  to  the  Mahavana  (vihara)  2  with  the  resolve  to 

13  settle  the  matter.     In  the  upo?atha-hall  those  (monks)  had 
placed  a  vessel  made  of  metal  and  filled  with  water  and  had 
said  to  the  lay-folk  :  '  Bestow  on  the  brotherhood  kahapanas 3 

14  and  so  on.'     The  thera  forbade  them  with  the  words  'This  is 
unlawful ;  give  nothing  ! '     Then  did  they  threaten  the  thera 

even  after  the  prescribed  time,  as  long  as  the  sun's  shadow  had  not 
passed  the  meridian  by  more  than  two-fingers'  breadth. 

(iii)  Gamantarakappa,  the  custom  of  going  into  the  village, 
after  the  meal,  and  there  eating  again,  if  invited. 

(iv)  Avasakappa,  the  custom  of  holding  the  nposatha-feast  separ- 
ately by  bhikkhus  dwelling  in  the  same  district. 

(v)  Anumatikappa,  the  carrying  out  of  official  acts  by  an  in- 
complete chapter,  on  the  supposition  that  the  consent  of  absent 
bhikkhus  was  obtained  afterwards. 

(vi)  Acinnakappa,  the  custom  of  doing  something  because  of  the 
preceptor's  practice. 

(vii)  Amathitakappa,  taking  unchurned  milk,  even  after  the 
mealtime. 

(viii)  Jalogikappa,  drinking  unfermented  palm-wine. 

(ix)  Adas.akam  nisidanam,  the  use  of  mats  to  sit  on  which 
were  not  of  the  prescribed  size,  if  they  were  without  fringe. 

(x)  Jataruparajatam,  accepting  gold  and  silver. 

1  Chalabhinna.     The  six  abhinna  are  (i)  the  power  of  iddhi, 
(ii)  the  heavenly  ear,  i.  e.  supranormal  power  of  hearing,  (iii)  the 
power  to  read  the  thoughts  of  others,  (iv)  the  knowledge  of  former 
existences,  (v)  the  heavenly  eye.  i.  e.  supranormal  power  of  seeing, 
(vi)  the  abandonment  of  the  asavas.    The  last  of  these  abhinna 
is  one  of  the  signs  of  an  arahant.     See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues  of 
the  Buddha,   i.   62;   AUNG,    Compendium  of  Philosophy,  pp.  60-63; 
224  foil. 

2  The  Mahavana-monastery  is  mentioned  by  Fa-Hian.     See  BEAL, 
Buddhist  Records  of  the  Western  World,  i,  p.  52. 

3  Kahapana(Skr.  karsapana)  is  a  square  copper  coin,  weighing 
1464  grains  =  948  grams.     See  RAPSON,  Indian  Coins,  p.  2  ;  RHYS 
DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  100. 


iv.  25  The  Second  Council  21 

Yasa  with  the  penance  called  the  Craving  of  pardon  from  lay- 
folk.1     He  asked  for  one  to  bear  him  company  and  went  15 
with  him  into  the  city  proclaiming1  to  the  citizens,  that  his 
teaching  was  according  to  the  dhamma. 

When  the  bhikkhus  heard  what  (Yasa's)  companion  had  to  16 
tell,  they  came  to  thrust  him  out  and  surrounded  the  thera's 
house.     The  thera  left  it,  rising  up  and  passing  through  the  17 
air,  and  halting  at  Kosambl,  he  forthwith  sent  messengers  to 
the  bhikkhus  of  Pava  and  Avanti;  2  he  himself  went  to  the  18 
Ahogahga-mountain   and  related  all  to  the  thera  Sambhuta 
Sanavasi.3 

Sixty  great  theras  from  Pava  and  eighty  from  Avanti,  all  19 
free  from  the  asavas,4  came  together  on  the  Ahogahga.     The 
bhikkhus  who  met  together  here  from  this  and  that  region  20 
were  in  all  ninety  thousand.     When  they  had  all  conferred 
together  they,  knowing  that  the  deeply  learned  thera  Revata  21 
of  Soreyya5  who   was  free  from  the  asavas,  was  the  chief 
among  them  at  that  time,  went  thence  to  seek  him  out. 

When  the  thera  heard  this  resolution  (by  his  divine  ear)  he  22 
set  out  at  once,  wishing  to  travel  easily,6  upon  the  way  to 
Vesall.     Arriving  day  by  day  in  the  evening  at  the   spot  23 
whence  the  sage  had  departed  in  the  morning  (the  theras) 
met  him  (at  last)  at  Sahajati. 

There    the    thera    Yasa,   as    the    thera     Sambhuta    had  24 
charged  him  to  do,  at  the  end  of  the  recital  of  the  sacred 
word,  addressing  himself  to  the  great  thera  Revata,  ques- 
tioned him  on  the  Ten  Points.    The  thera  rejected  them,  and  25 

1  Patisaraniyakamina,  see  KERN,  Manual,  p.  87,  note  8. 

2  Kosambi  on  the  Yamuna  was  the  capital  of  the  Vatsas  or 
Vamsas.  Pava  that  of  the  Mallas ;  Avanti  was  the  region  of  Ujjeni ; 
RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  pp.  36,  26,  28.     Instead  of  Paveyyaka 
some  of  the  Sinhalese  MSS.  read  Patheyyaka.     But  also  at  M.V.  VII. 
1.  1  (  =  Ftn.  Pit.  i.  2535)  the  Burmese  MSS.  have  Paveyyaka. 

3  See  Fin.  Texts,  iii  (S.B.E.  xx),  p.  394,  note  2. 

4  Anasava,  see  p.  15,  n.  3. 

5  Not  far  from  Takkasila  in  W.  India,  see  Parajika,  1.  4  (Fm.  Pit. 
iii,  p.  11) ;  KERN,  Manual,  p.  36. 

6  Cf.  for  the  detailed  description,  C.V.  XII.  1.  9  =  Fm.  Texts,  iii 
(S.B.E.  xx),  p.  396. 


22  MaMvamsa  IV.  26 

when  he  had  heard  the  matter,  he  said :  '  Let  us  make  an  end 
(of  this  dispute)/ 

26  The  heretical  bhikkhus,  too,  in  order  to  win  support,  sought 
the  thera  Revata.    Preparing  in  abundance  the  things  needful 

27  for  ascetics/  they  took  ship  with  all  speed  and  went  to  Saha- 
jati,  bestowing  food  sumptuously  when  the  mealtime  came.2 

28  The  thera  Salha,  free  from  the  asavas,  who  lived  at  Sahajati, 
having  thought  on  the  matter,  perceived :    '  Those  of  Pavii 

29  hold  the  true  doctrine/     And  the  great  god  Brahma  drew 
near  to  him  and  said  :  ( Stand  thou  firm  in  the  doctrine/  and 
he  replied  that  he  would  ever  stand  firm  in  the  doctrine. 

30  They3  took  those  needful  things  (that  they  had  brought  as 
gifts)  and  sought  the  thera  Revata,  but  the  thera  did  not  take 
their  part  and  dismissed  (the  pupil)  who  took  their  part.4 

31  They  went  thence  to  Vesali,  shameless  they  went  from  there 

32  to  Pupphapura,5  and  told   king   Kalasoka :    ( Guarding    our 
Master's  perfumed  chamber  we  dwell  in  the  Mahavana-vihara 

33  in  the  Vajji  territory;  but  bhikkhus  dwelling  in  the  country 
are  coming,  great  king,  with   the  thought :    We  will  take 
the  vihara  for  ourselves.     Forbid  them  ! ' 

34  When  they  had  thus  misled  the  king  they  went  (back)  to 
Vesali.    Here  in  Sahajati  eleven  hundred  and  ninety  thou- 

35  sand  bhikkhus  were  come  together  under  the  thera  Revata, 

36  to  bring  the  dispute  to  a  peaceful  end.     And  the  thera  would 
not  end  the  dispute  save  in  the  presence  of  those  with  whom 

1  Samanaka  parikkhara  (as  a  gift  to  Revata)  is  that  which 
a  monk  is  allowed  to  call  his  own,  such  as  robes,  the  alms-bowl,  &c. 
Cf.  CHILDERS,  s.v.  parikkharo. 

2  The  underlying  meaning  is  that  they  indulged  in  riotous  living 
on  their  journey.  Vissagga  has  the  implied  sense  of  something  rich 
and  luxuriant.     The  Tika    paraphrases    bhattavissaggam   with 
bhattaparivesanam,  bhattaparibhogam. 

3  I.  e.  the  Vajjian  monks. 

4  On  this  passage  see  Mah.  ed.,  pp.  xxv-xxvi.     However,  I  now 
prefer  the  reading  pakkhagahim,  since  the  passage  evidently  refers 
to  Revata's  disciple  Uttara  (C.V.  XII.  2.  3),  who  allowed  himself  to  be 
won  over  by  the  Vajjian  monks. 

5  Pupphapura,  the  City  of  Flowers,  a  name  of  Pataliputta  (now 
Patna),  capital  at  that  time  of  the  kingdom  of  Magadha. 


iv.  48  The  Second  Council  23 

it   had  begun ; l   therefore  all  the  bhikkhus  went  thence  to 
Vesall. 

The  misguided  king  likewise  sent  his  ministers  thither,  but  37 
led  astray  by  the  design  of  the  devas  they  went  elsewhere. 
And  the  monarch,    when   he   had   sent  them,  saw  himself  38 
in   a   dream,  that  night,  hurled  into  the  hell  called  Loha- 
kumbhi.    The  king  was  sorely  terrified  and,  to  calm  his  fears,  39 
his  sister,  Nanda,  the  theii  free  from  the  asavas,  came  to 
him,  passing  through  the  air. 

'  An  ill  deed  is  this  that  thou  hast  done!     Reconcile  thee  40 
with  these  venerable  bhikkhus,  the  true  believers.     Placing 
thyself  on  their  side,  protect  thou  their  faith.     If  thou  dost  41 
so,  blessed  art  thou ! '  she  said,  and  thereon  vanished.     And 
forthwith  in  the  morning  the  king  set  out  to  go  to  Vesali. 
He  went  to  the  Mahavana  (monastery),  assembled  the  con-  42 
aTeo-ation  of  the  bhikkhus  there,  and  when  he  had  heard  what 

£">        O  •* 

was  said  by  both  of  the  (opposing)  sides,  and  had  decided, 
himself,  for  the  true  faith,  when  moreover  this  prince  was  43 
reconciled  with  all  the  rightly  believing  bhikkhus  and  had 
declared  that  he  was  for  the  right  belief,  he  said :  '  Do  what  44 
ye  think  well  to  further  the  doctrine/  and  when  he  had  pro- 
mised to  be  their  protector,  he  returned  to  his  capital. 

Thereafter  the  brotherhood  came  together  to  decide  upon  45 
those  points  ;  then,  in  the  congregation  (of  monks),  aimless  2 
words  were  spent.    Then  the  thera  Revata,  who  went  into  the  46 
midst  of  the   brotherhood,  resolved  to  settle  the  matter  by 
means  of  an  ubbahika.3     He  appointed  four  bhikkhus  from  47 
the  East,  and  four  from  Pava,  for  the  ubbahika  to  set  the 
dispute  to  rest.     Sabbakami  and  Salha,  one  named  Khujjaso-  48 
bhita,  and  Vasabhagamika,  these  were  the  theras  from  the 

1  Mulatthehi  vina,  lit.  '  without  those  who  were  at  the  root.' 

2  Anaggani    bhassani  'aimless'  or  'inexact'  speeches.      The 
reading  anaggani  bhassani  (Ed.  Col.  nantani  bh°)  is  confirmed 
by  C.V.  IV.  14.  19  and  XII.  2.  7. 

5  Ubbahikaya  'by  means  of  a  Eeferat\  the  settlement  of  a  dis- 
pute being  laid  in  the  hands  of  certain  chosen  brethren.  For  the 
rule  on  this,  see  C.V.  IV.  14.  19  ff. ;  Vin.  Texts,  iii  (S.B.E.  xx), 
p.  49  ff. 


24  Mahavamsa  IV.  49 

49  East;   Revata,  Sanasambhuta,  Yasa,  the  son  of  Kakandaka, 
and  Sumana,  these  were  the  four  theras  from  Pava. 

50  Now  to  decide  on  those  points  the  eight  theras  who  were 
free  from  the  asavas  betook  them  to  the  quiet  and  solitary 

5 1  Valikarama.    There,  in  the  beautiful  spot  prepared  for  them  by 
the  young  Ajita,1  the  great  theras  took  up  their  abode,  they  who 

52  knew  the  thoughts  of  the  Greatest  of  Sages.     And  the  great 
thera  Revata,   skilled   in  questioning,  questioned  the   thera 

53  Sabbakami  successively  on  each  one  of  those  points.  Questioned 
by  him  the  great  thera  Sabbakami  thus  gave  judgment :  '  All 

54  these  points  are  unlawful,  according  to  tradition/     And  when, 
in  due  order,  they  had  ended  (their  task)  in  this  place,  they 
did  all  again,  in  like  manner,  with  question  and  answer,  in  the 

55  presence  of  the  brotherhood.     And  thus  did  the  great  theras 
refute  the  teaching  of  those  ten  thousand  heretical  bhikkhus 
who  maintained  the  Ten  Points. 

56  Sabbakami  was  then  the  samghatthera  on  the  earth,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  years  did  he  number  since  his  upasam- 
pada. 

57  Sabbakami  and  Salha,  Revata,  Khujjasobhita,  Yasa,  the 
son  of  Kakandaka,  and  Sambhuta  Sanavasika,  the  six  theras, 

58  were  pupils  of  the  thera  Ananda;  but  Vasabhagamika  and 

59  Sumana,  the  two  theras,  were  pupils  of  the  thera  Anuruddha. 
These  eight  fortunate  theras  had  beheld   the  Tathagata  in 

60  time  past.     One  hundred  and  twelve  thousand  bhikkhus  had 
come  together,  and  of  all  these  bhikkhus  the  thera  Revata 
then  was  the  chief. 

61  At  that  time  the  thera  Revata,  in  order  to  hold  a  council, 
that  the  true  faith  might  long  endure,  chose  seven  hundred 

62  out   of    all   that   troop   of   bhikkhus ;    (those   chosen   were) 
arahants    endowed    with   the   four   special  sciences,   under- 
standing of  meanings  and  so  forth,2  knowing  the  tipitaka. 

1  The  reading  daharenajitenettha  is  confirmed  by  C.V.  XII. 
2.  7:  atha  kho  samgho  ayasinantam  pi  Ajitam  sammanni 
theranam  bhikkhunam  asanapannapakam  (Vin.  Pit.  ii.  30534). 

8  Pabhinnatthadinananam  is  explained  in  the  Tika  as 
atthapatisambhidadipabhedagatanananam;  atthadippa- 
bhedagatehi  patisambhidananehi  samannagatanam  ti 


TV.  66  TJie  Second  Council  25 

All  these   (theras  met)    in  the  Valikarama  protected  by  63 
Kalasoka,  under  the  leadership  of  the  thera  Revata,  (and) 
compiled  the  dhamma.1    Since  they  accepted   the   dhamma  64 
already  established  in  time  past  and  proclaimed  afterward, 
they  completed  their  work  in  eight  months. 

When  these  theras  of  high  renown  had  held  the  Second  65 
Council,  they,  since  in  them  all  evil  had  perished,  attained  in 
course  of  time  unto  nibbana. 

When  we  bethink  us  of  the  death  of  the  sons  of  the  66 
Universal  Teacher,  who  were  gifted  with  perfect  insight,  who 
had  attained  all  that  is  to  attain,  who  had  conferred  blessings 
on  (the  beings  of)  the  three  forms  of  existence,2  then  may 
we  lay  to  heart  the  entire  vanity  of  all  that  comes  into  being  3 
and  vigilantly  strive  (after  deliverance). 

Here  ends  the  fourth  chapter,  called  '  The  Second  Council ', 
in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion 
of  the  pious. 

attho;  adiggahanenettha  dhammapatisambhidadini  na- 
nani  gahitani.  The  compound  means  therefore  literally,  'who 
possess  the  specialized  knowledge  of  the  attha  and  so  forth,1  that  is, 
the  four  patisambhida.  By  this  term  is  understood  'a  transcendent 
faculty  in  grasping  the  meaning  of  a  text  or  subject  (attha)  ;  in 
grasping  the  Law  of  all  things  as  taught  by  the  Buddha  (dhamma)  ; 
in  exegesis  (nirutti);  readiness  in  expounding  and  discussion 
(patibhana) '.  See  Patisambhida-magga  1.  88. 

1  Akarum  dhammasamgaham.     See  note  to  3.  17. 

2  The   three  forms  of  existence  are  kamabhava,  rupabhava, 
arupabhava  'sensual  existence,  corporeal  existence,  formless  exist- 
ence1 (CHILDERS,  P.D.  s.  vv.),  that  is,  existences  in  the  three  worlds 
so  named,  which  together  form  that  part  of  the  universe  called  the 
sattaloka,   'world  of  beings.'     In  this  the  kamaloka  includes 
the  eleven  lowest  worlds,  the  rupaloka  the  sixteen  higher,  and  the 
arupaloka  the  four  highest,  celestial  worlds. 

3  Samkhatasarakattam :    samkhata   is   a   synonym  of  sam- 
khara,  and  means  in  the  widest  sense  the  material  and  transitory 
world.    See  CHILDERS,  s.  v.  samkharo. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   THIRD   COUNCIL 

1  THAT  redaction  of  the  true  dhamma,  which  was  arranged  at 
the  beginning  by  the  great  theras  Mahakassapa  and  others, 

2  is  called  that  of  the  theras.     One  and  united  was  the  school 
of   the  theras  in  the  first  hundred  years.     But  afterwards 

3  arose  other   schools   of   doctrine.1     The  heretical   bhikkhus, 
subdued  by  the  theras  who  had  held  the  Second  Council,2  in 

4  all  ten  thousand,  founded  the  school  which  bears  the  name 
Mahasamghika.3 

From  this  arose  the  Gokulika  and  Ekavyoharika  (schools). 

5  From  the  Gokulika  arose  the  Pannatti  sect  and  the  Bahulika, 
from   these   the    Cetiya    sect.     (Thus)  there    are   six,   with 

G  the  Mahasamghika,  and  yet  two  more  (groups)  parted  from 
the  followers  of  the  Thera-doctrine :    the  Mahimsasaka  and 

7  the  Vajjiputtaka  bhikkhus.     And  there   parted  from  them 
likewise  the  Dhammuttariya  and  the  Bhadrayanika  bhikkhus, 
the  Chandagarika,  the  SammitI  and  the  Vaj jiputtiya  bhikkhus. 

8  From  the  Mahimsasaka  bhikkhus  two  (groups)  parted,  the 
bhikkhus  who  held  by  the  Sabbattha-school  and  the  Dhamma- 

9  guttika  bhikkhus.     From  the  Sabbattha  sect  arose  the  Kassa- 
piya,  from  these  arose  the  Samkantika  bhikkhus,  from  these 

10  last  the  Sutta  sect.     These  are  twelve  together  with  (those 
of)   the   Thera-doctrine;    thereto  are  added  the   six  schools 
named  and  these  together  are  eighteen. 

11  Thus  in  the  second  century  arose  seventeen  schools,  and 

12  other   schools   arose   afterwards.       The    Hemavata    and   the 

1  Aoariyavada  stands  in  contrast  to  theravada.     This  latter 
is  the  true  and  orthodox  church  community,  the  other  expresses 
collectively  the  various  sects  which  arose  in  the  course  of  time. 

2  Tehi   samgitikarehi   therehi  dutiyehi,  lit.  'by  those  the 
second  council-holding  theras '. 

8  I.  e.  the  '  Great  Community '. 


v.  21  Hie  Third  Council  27 

Rajagiriya  and  likewise  the  Siddhatthaka,   the  first  Seliya 
bhikkhus,   the   other    Seliya,  and   the   Vajiriya :    these  six  13 
separated  (from  the  rest)  in  Jambudipa,  the  DhammarucI  and 
the  Sagaliya  separated  (from  the  rest)  in  the  island  of  Lanka.1 

Here  ends  the  Story  of  the  Acariya-schools. 

The  sons  of  Kalasoka  were  ten  brothers,  twenty-two  years  14 
did  they  reign.  Afterwards,  the  nine  Nandas  2  were  kings  in  15 
succession ;  they  too  reigned  twenty-two  years. 

Then  did  the  brahman  Canakka  3  anoint  a  glorious  youth,  1 G 
known  by  the  name  Candagutta,  as  king  over  all  Jambudipa,  1 7 
born  of  a  noble  clan,  the  Moriyas,  when,  filled  with  bitter  hate, 
he  had  slain  the  ninth  (Nanda)  Dhanananda. 

Twenty-four  years  he  reigned,  and  his  son  Bindusara  reigned  18 
twenty- eight.     A  hundred  glorious  sons  and  one  had  Bindu- 
sara; 4  Asoka5  stood  high  above  them  all  in  valour,  splendour,  19 
might,  and  wondrous  powers.     He,   when  he  had  slain  his  20 
ninety-nine   brothers    born   of   different    mothers,    won   the 
undivided   sovereignty  over  all  Jambudlpa.     Be  it  known,  21 
that  two  hundred  and  eighteen  years  had  passed  from  the 
nibbana  of  the  Master  unto  Asoka's  consecration. 

1  The  Nikaya-samgraha  (ed.  WICKREMASINGHE,  pp.  II32  and 
139j  informs  us  that  the  DhammarucI  branched  off  from  the  Thera- 
vTiclins  454  years  A.  B.,  and  the  Sagaliya  from  the  former  795  years 
A.  B.     The  former  event  took  place  under  Vala-gam-ba  (Vattagamani 
Abhaya,  see  Mah.  33.  95  ff.),  and  the  latter  under  Gothabhaya  (see 
Mah.  36.  110  if.). 

2  The  Mah.  Tika,  pp.  117-119,  gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  Nanda 
dynasty;  also  Kamb.  Mah.  V.  953-994. 

3  On  the  Moriya   dynasty  and   on  Canakka  and  Candagutta  see 
Mah.  Tfka,  pp.  119-123;   Kamb.  Mah.  V.  995-1090.    Candragupta's 
minister,  Canakya,  is  also  known  to  play  an  important  part  in  the 
Mudraraksasa.     See  SYLVAIN  LEVI,  Le  Theatre  Indien,  pp.  226  ff. 
A  work  on  politics,  ascribed  to  him,  the  Kautiliyasastra,  still  exists. 
HILLEBRANDT,   Uber  das  Kautiliyasastra  und  Verwandtes.     Cp.  also 
LA.  38,  1909,  pp.  257  ff. 

4  On  Bindusara  and  on  Candagutta's  death  see  Mah.  Tika,  pp.  124, 
125;  Kamb.  Mah.  V.  1092-1128. 

5  On  Asoka's  birth  and  early  youth,  see  Mah.  Tika,  pp.  125-128  ; 
Kamb.  Mah.  V.  1129-1198. 


28  MaJiavamsa  V.  22 

22  Four  years  after  the  famous  (Asoka)  had  won  for  himself 
the  undivided  sovereignty  he  consecrated  himself  as  king  in 

23  the  city  Pataliputta.     Straightway  after  his  consecration  his 
command  spread  so  far  as  a  yojana  (upward)  into  the  air  and 
downward  into  the  (depths  of  the)  earth.1 

24  Day  by  day  did  the  devas  bring  eight  men's  loads  of  water 
of  (the  lake)  Anotatta ;    the  king  dealt  it  out  to  his  people. 

25  From  the  Himalaya  did  the  devas   bring  for  cleansing  the 
teeth  twigs  of   naga-creeper,    enough  for   many  thousands, 

26  healthful    fruits,    myrobalan    and    terminalia    and    mango- 
fruits   from  the  same   place,  perfect   in  colour,    smell,   and 

27  taste.     The  spirits   of   the   air2   brought   garments  of   five 
colours,  and  yellow  stuff  for  napkins,  and  also  celestial  drink 

28  from  the  Chaddanta-lake.3     Out  of  the  naga-kingdom  the 
nagas  (brought)  stuff,  coloured  like  the  jasmine-blossom  and 
without  a  seam,  and  celestial  lotus-flowers  and  colly rium  and 

29  unguents;    parrots  brought  daily  from   the  Chaddanta-lake 

30  ninety  thousand  waggon-loads  of  rice.4     Mice  converted  this 
rice,   unbroken,  into   grains    without   husk   or   powder,  and 

3 1  therewith  was  meal  provided  for  the  royal  family.     Perpetually 
did  honey-bees  prepare  honey  for  him,  and  in  the  forges  bears 

32  swung   the   hammers.      Karavika-birds,  graceful  and  sweet 

33  of  voice,  came  and  made  delightful  music  for  the  king.     And 
being  consecrated  king,  Asoka  raised  his  youngest  brother 
Tissa,  son  of  his  own  mother,  to  the  office  of  vice-regent. 

Here  ends  the  Consecration  of  the  pious  Asoka. 

34  ( Asoka' s)  father  had  shown  hospitality  to  sixty  thousand 

1  The  sense  of  this  passage,  not  rightly  understood  up  to  the  present 
time,  is  evidently  this :   not  only  men  upon  the  earth  but  also  the 
spirits  of  the  air  and  the  earth  heard  and  obeyed  Asoka's  command. 

2  The  marii  (Skt.  marut)  in  contrast  to  the  deva  in  24. 

3  Hera  follow  two  spurious  verses,  'To  die(?)  in  this  city  there 
came  gazelles,  boars,  birds  into  the  kitchens  and  willingly  perished. 
Leopards  were  used  to  take  the  herds  to  pasture  and  lead  them  to 
their  stalls,  gazelles  and  boars  were  used  to  watch  over  fields,  plots, 
and  ponds  and  so  forth.' 

4  On  parrots  furnishing  hill  paddy,  see  Jdt.  i,  pp.  3251-3,  3276  foil. ; 
MORRIS,  J.P.T.S.  1884,  p.  107. 


V.  46  Hie  Tliird  Council  29 

brahmans,  versed  in  the  Brahma-doctrine,  and  in  like  manner 
he  himself  nourished  them  for  three  years.     But  when  he  35 
saw  their  want  of  self-control  at  the  distribution  of  food  he 
commanded  his  ministers  saying  :   '  (Hereafter)  I  will  give 
according-   to   my  choice.'     The  shrewd  (king)   bade  (them)  36 
bring  the  followers  of  the  different  schools  into  his  presence, 
tested  them  in  an  assembly,  and  gave  them  to  eat,  and  sent 
them  thence  when  he  had  entertained  them. 

As  he  once,  standing  at  the  window,  saw  a  peaceful  ascetic,  37 
the  samanera  Nigrodha,  passing   along   the   street,  he   felt 
kindly    toward    him.      The   youth   was   the   son   of   prince  38 
Sumana,  the  eldest  brother  of  all  the  sons  of  Bindusara. 

When  Bindusara  had  fallen  sick  Asoka  left  the  govern-  39 
ment  of  Ujjeni  conferred  on  him  by  his  father,  and  came 
to  Pupphapura,1  and  when  he  had  made  himself  master  of  40 
the  city,  after  his  father's  death,  he  caused  his  eldest  brother 
to   be  slain   and   took   on   himself   the   sovereignty   in   the 
splendid  city. 

The  consort  of  prince  Sumana,  who  bore  the  same  name  41 
(Sumanfi),   being  with  child,  fled  straightway  by  the   east 
gate  and  went  to  a  candala  village,  and  there  the  guardian  42 
god  of  a  nigrodha-tree  2  called  her  by  her  name,  built  a  hut 
and   gave  it   to  her.     And   as,  that   very  day,   she  bore  a  43 
beautiful   boy,    she   gave   to   her   son   the   name  Nigrodha, 
enjoying   the   protection   of  the  guardian  god.     When  the  44 
headman  of  the  candalas  saw  (the  mother),  he  looked  on  her 
as  his  own  wife,  and  kept  her  seven  years  with  honour.    Then,  45 
as  the  thcra  Mahavaruna  saw  that  the  boy  bore  the  signs  of 
his  destiny,3  the  arahant  questioned  his  mother  and  ordained  46 
him,  and  even  in   the   room   where   they  shaved   him4   he 

1  See  note  to  4.  31.    UJJENI,  Skr.  Ujjayini,  now  Ujjain  in  the 
Gwalior  State,  Central  India,  was  the  old  capital  of  Avanti.     RHYS 
DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  3  foil. 

2  Nigrodha  =  Ficus  Indica,  banyan-tree. 

3  Upanissaya  includes  all  those  qualities,  aptitudes  and  marks 
of  an  individual,  which  show  that  he   is  qualified   to  attain  ara- 
hantship. 

4  The  shaving  of  the  hair  is  one  of  the  ceremonies  at  the  reception 
of  a  novice  into  the  order. 


30  Mahavamsa  v.  47 

attained  to  the  state  of  arahant.     Going  thence  to  visit  his 

47  royal  mother,  he  entered  the  splendid  city  by  the  south  gate, 
and  following  the  road  that  led  to  that  village,  he  passed 

48  (on  his  way)  the  king's  court.     Well  pleased  was  the  king  by 
his  grave  bearing,  but  kindly  feeling  arose  in  him  also  by 
reason  of  a  former  life  lived  together. 

49  Now  once,  in  time  past,  there  were  three  brothers,  traders 
in  honey ;    one  was  used  to  sell  the  honey,  two  to  get  the 

50  honey.     A  certain  paccekabuddha  was  sick  of  a  wound;   and 
another  paccekabuddha,  who,  for  his  sake,  wished  for  honey, 

51  came  even  then  to  the  city  on  his  usual  way  for  seeking  alms. 
A  maiden,  who  was  going  for  water  to  the  river-bank,  saw 

52  him.     When  she  knew,  from  questioning  him,  that  he  wished 
for   honey,    she   pointed   with  hand   outstretched  and  said  : 
'  Yonder  is  a  honey-store,  sir,  go  thither.1 

53  The  trader,  with  believing  heart,  gave  to  the  buddha  who 
came  there  a  bowlful  of  honey,  so  that  it  ran  over  the  edge. 

54  As  he  saw  the  honey  filling  (the  bowl)  and  flowing  over  the 
edge,  and  streaming  down  to  the  ground,  he,  full  of  faith, 

55  wished:   'May  I,  for  this  gift,  come  by  the  undivided  sove- 
reignty of  Jambudipa,  and  may  my  command  reach  forth 
a  yojana  (upward)  into  the  air  and  (downward)  under  the  earth. 

56  To  his  brothers  as  they  came,  he  said:   '  To  a  man  of  such 
and  such  a  kind  have  I  given  honey ;  agree  thereto  since  the 

57  honey  is  yours  also/     The  eldest  brother  said  grudgingly  : 
( It  was  surely  a  candala,  for  the  candalas  ever  clothe  them- 

58  selves  in  yellow  garments.'     The  second  said:    'Away  with 
thy  paccekabuddha  over  the  sea  ! '     But  when  they  heard  his 
promise  to  let  them  participate  of  the  reward,  they  gave  their 

59  sanction.     Then  the  (maid  who)  had  pointed  out  the  store 
wished  that  she  might  become  the  royal  spouse  of  the  (first), 
and  (desired)  a  lovely  form  with  limbs  of  perfect  outline.1 

60  Asoka  was  he  who  gave  the  honey,  the  queen  Asamdhi- 
mitta   was   the   maid,  Nigrodha  he   who   uttered  the  word 
'  candala',  Tissa  he  who  had  wished  him  away  over  the  sea.2 

61  He  who  had  uttered  the  word  '  candfila'  lived  (in  expiation 

1  Adissamanasamdhi  means  literally  '  with  invisible  joints '. 

2  Paravadi,  lit.  '  who  had  spoken  of  the  further  shore.' 


v.  69  The  Third  Council  31 

thereof)  in  a  candala  village,  but  because  he  had  desired 
deliverance,  he  also,  even  in  the  seventh  year,  attained  unto 
deliverance.1 

The  king,  in  whom  kindly  feelings  had  arisen  towards  that  62 
same  (Nigrodha),  summoned  him  in  all  haste  into  his  presence; 
but  he  came  staidly  and  calmly  thither.     And  the  king  said  63 
to  him  :  '  Sit,  my  dear,  upon  a  fitting  seat.'     Since  he  saw  no 
other  bhikkhu  there  he  approached  the  royal  throne.     Then,  64 
as  he  stepped  toward  the  throne,  the  king  thought :  '  To-day, 
this  sfimanera  will  be  lord  in  my  house ! '     Leaning  on  the  65 
king's  hand  he  (the  monk)  mounted  the  throne  and  took  his 
seat  on  the  royal  throne  under  the  white  canopy.     And  seeing  66 
him  seated  there  king  Asoka  rejoiced  greatly  that  he  had 
honoured  him  according  to  his  rank.2     "When  he  had  refreshed  67 
him  with  hard  and  soft  foods  prepared  for  himself  he  questioned 
the  samanera  concerning  the  doctrine  taught  by  the  Sambuddha. 
Then  the  samanera  preached  to  him  the  'Appamadavagga'.3     68 

And  when  the  lord  of  the  earth  had  heard  him  he  was  won 
to  the  doctrine  of  the  Conqueror,  and  he  said  to  (Nigrodha) :  69 
'  My  dear,  I  bestow  on  thee  eight  perpetual  supplies  of  food/ 
And  he  answered  :   '  These  will  I  bestow  on  my  master.'  4 

1  The  stop  should  be  put  after  a  si.    Pa  tthesi  refers  to  the  existence 
as  m  a  d  h  u  v  a  n  i  j  a.  When  the  eldest  b  rother  had  transferred  the  p  a  1 1  i 
('reward')   to  his  younger  brothers   each   one  of  them  uttered   a 
patthana,  that  of  the  third  was  mokkha,  i.e.  the  attainment  of 
arahantship. 

2  Sambhavetvana  gunato  is  an  allusion  to  63.   The  king  leaves 
it  to  Nigrodha  to  choose  his  own  place  since  he  does  not  know  his 
rank.     From  the  fact  of  Nigrodha's  seating  himself  on  the  throne 
Asoka  perceives  that  a  monk  of  the  highest  rank  is  before  him,  and 
he  rejoices  that  he  did  not  assign  a  lower  place  to  him. 

3  I.  e.  the  section  entitled  '  unwearying  zeal '.      There  are  eleven 
minor  vaggas  in  the  Samyutta-Nikaya,  bearing  this  title,  and  nine 
Appamadasuttas. 

4  Upajjhayassa.     Every  novice  on  his  entrance  into  the  order 
chooses  an  upajjhaya  '  a  master',  and  an  acariya  'teacher'.    It 
appears  from  M.V.  1.  25.  6  ff.,  32.  1  if.,  that  there  is  no  difference 
between  the  functions  of  the  two.     The  acariya  seems,  according 
to  M.V.  I.  32.  1,  to  be  only  the  deputy  or  substitute  of  the  upaj- 
jhaya. 


32  Mahdvamsa  v.  70 

70  When  again  eight  (supplies)  were  bestowed  on  him  he  allotted 
these  to  his  teacher ;  and  when  yet  eight  more  were  bestowed 

71  he  gave  them  to  the  community  of  bhikkhus.     And  when 
yet  again  eight  were  bestowed,  he,  full  of  understanding, 
consented  to  accept  them.     Together  with  thirty-two  bhik- 

72  khus,  he  went  on  the  following  day,  and  when  he  had  been 
served  by  the  king  with  his  own  hands,  and  had  preached  the 
doctrine  to  the  ruler,  he  confirmed  him  with  many  of  his 
train  in  the  refuges  and  precepts  of  duty.1 

Here  ends  the  Visit  of  the  samanera  Nigrodha. 

73  Thereon  the  king,  with  glad  faith,  doubled  day  by  day 
(the  number)  of  bhikkhus  (receiving  bounty),  till  they  were 

74  sixty  thousand.     Putting  aside  the  sixty  thousand  teachers  of 
false  doctrine,2  he  bestowed  alms  perpetually  on  sixty  thousand 
bhikkhus  in  his  house. 

75  Having   commanded   costly   foods,  hard   and   soft,   to   be 
prepared  speedily,  in  order  to  feast  the  sixty  thousand  bhik- 

76  khus,  and  having  caused  the  town  to  be  gaily   decked,  he 
went  to  the  brotherhood  and  bade  them  to  his  house ;    and 
after  he  had  brought  them  thither,  had  bestowed  hospitality 
on  them  and  largely  provided  them  with  the  things  needful 

77  for  ascetics,3  he  questioned  them  thus:    '  How  great  is  (the 
content  of)  the  dhamma  taught  by  the  Master  ? '     And  the 
thera   Moggaliputta-Tissa   answered  him  upon  this  matter. 

78  When  he  heard :  *  There  are  eighty-four  (thousand)  sections  of 
the  dhamma/  the  king  said :  ' Each  one  of  them  will  I  honour 
with  a  vihara.' 

79  Then  bestowing  ninety-six  kotis  (of  money)  in  eighty-four 

80  thousand  towns,  the  ruler  bade  the  kings  all  over  the  earth 

1  See  note  to  1.  32. 

2  Titthiyanam.    Those  whom  his  father  (according  to  v.  34)  had 
already  supported  and  whom  Asoka  did  in  fact  entertain,  with  certain 
changes.     He   now  gradually  substituted   Buddhist   monks.     Verses 
73  and  74  are  suspicious,  since  the  Tlka  does  not  comment  on  them. 

3  Sam  a  naka,  see  note  to  4.  26. 


v.  92  The  Tliird  Council  33 

begin  (to  build)  viharas  and  he  himself  began  to  build  the 
Asokarama.1 

With  the  grant  for  the  three  gems,2  for  Nigrodha  and  for  81 
the  sick,  he  bestowed  in  (support  of)  the  faith  for  each  of 
them  a  hundred  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  each  day.    With  the  82 
treasure  spent  for  the  Buddha  the  (priests)  held  thupa-offerings  3 
of  many  kinds  continually  in  many  viharas.     With  the  treasure  83 
spent  for  the  dhamma  the  people  continually  prepared  the 
four  things  needful  for  the  use  of  bhikkhus  who  were  learned 
in   the   doctrine.     Of   the   loads   of   water   borne   from   the  84 
Anotatta-lake  he  bestowed  four  on  the  brotherhood,  one  every 
day  to  sixty  theras  who  knew  the  tipitaka  ;  but  one  he  had  85 
commanded  to  be  given  to  the  queen  Asamdhimitta,  while 
the  king  himself  had  but  two  for  his  own  use.     To  the  sixty  86 
thousand  bhikkhus  and  to  sixteen  thousand  women  (of  the 
palace),  he  gave  day  by  day  those  tooth-sticks  called  naga- 
lata.4 

When,   one   day,  the   monarch   heard   of   the   naga-king  87 
Mahakala  of  wondrous  might,  who  had  beheld  four  Buddhas, 
who  had  lived  through  one  age  of  the  world,  he  sent  for  him  88 
to  be  brought   (into  his  presence)  fettered  with  a  chain  of 
gold ;  and  when  he  had  brought  him  and  made  him  sit  upon 
the  throne  under  the  white  canopy,  when  he  had  done  homage  89 
to  him  with  (gifts  of)  various  flowers,  and  had  bidden  the 
sixteen  thousand  women  (of  the  palace)  to  surround  him,  he 
(the  king)  spoke  thus  :  *  Let  us  behold  the  (bodily)  form  of  the  90 
omniscient  Great  Sage,  of  Him  who  hath  boundless  know- 
ledge, who  hath  set  rolling  the  wheel  of  the  true  doctrine.' 
The  naga-king  created  a   beauteous  figure  of   the  Buddha,  91 
endowed   with    the    thirty-two  greater   signs   and   brilliant 
with  the  eighty  lesser  signs  (of  a  Buddha),  surrounded  by  the  92 

1  The  Asoka  monastery  in  the  capital  Pataliputta. 

2  Ratanattayam.  The  three  gems  are  Buddha,  dhamma, samgha: 
Buddha,  his  doctrine  and  community,  see  note  on  1.  32. 

5  Thupapuja.  The  tope  (thupa)  is  never  missing  from  a  Buddhist 
monastery.  Festivals  of  which  a  tope  is  the  centre  are  frequently 
mentioned  in  the  Mahavamsa. 

*  The  naga-creeper.    See  5.  25. 

D 


34  Mahavamsa  v.  93 

fathom-long  rays  of   glory  and  adorned  with  the  crown  of 
flames.1 

At  the  sight  thereof  the  king  was  filled  with  joy  and  amaze- 

93  ment  and  thought :  f  Even  such  is  the  image  created  by  this 
(Mahakala),  nay  then,  what  (must)  the  (real)  form  of  the 
Tathagata  have  been  ! '     And  he  was  more  and  more  uplifted 

94  with  joy,  and  for  seven  days  without  ceasing  did  he,  the  great 
king  of  wondrous  power,  keep  the  great  festival  called  the 
'  Feast  of  the  eyes  '.2 

Here  ends  the  Entrance  (of  Asoka)  into  the  doctrine. 

95  Now  the  mighty  and  believing  king  and  thera  Moggaliputta 
had  already  in  former  times  been  seen  by  the  holy  ones.3 

96  At  the  time  of  the  Second  Council,  the  theras,  looking  into 
the  future,  saw  the  downfall  of  the  faith  in  the  time  of  that 

97  king.    Looking  around  in  the  whole  world  for  one  who  should 
be  able  to  stay  that  downfall,  they  saw  the  Brahma  Tissa4 

98  who  had  not  long  to  live  (in  the  Brahma  heaven).     To  him 
they  went  and  prayed  him,  the  mighty  in  wisdom,  to  bring 
this  downfall  to  nought  by  being  reborn  himself  among  men. 

99  And  he  granted  their  prayer,  desiring  that  the  doctrine  should 
shine  forth  in  brightness.     But  to  the  youthful  Siggava  and 

100  Candavajji   the   sages  spoke  thus:    'When  a  hundred  and 
eighteen  years  are  passed  the  downfall  of  the  religion  will 

101  begin.    We  shall  not  live  to  see  that  (time).     You,  bhikkhus, 

1  On  the  signs  of  a  Buddha,  see  the  Lakkhana  Suttanta  in  D.  Ill, 
p.  142  foil.,  and  GRUNWEDEL,  Buddhistische  Kunst  in  Indien,  p.  138  foil. 

2Akkhipuja.  It  corresponds  to  our  'consecration'.  See  Vin. 
iii.  300. 

3  Vaslhi  =  '  by  those  who  have  the  senses  under  control '.    In  the 
Kamb.  Mahav.  follows  here  (vv.  1276-1338)  an  episode  relating  to 
Asamdhiinitta.  Asoka  puts  his  consort  to  the  test,  she  having  boasted 
of  merit  acquired.    He  requires  of  her  that  she  shall  provide,  between 
one  day  and  another,  robes  for  the  60,000  monks.     With  the  help  of 
the  god  Kubera,  who  remembers  the  kindness  shown  by  her  to  the 
paccekabuddha  (see  above,  vv.  51  foil.),  she  accomplishes  what  the 
king  demands  of  her. 

4  Tissa,  a  dweller  in  the  Brahma  heaven. 


V.  112  The  TJiird  Council  35 

have  had  no  part  in  this  matter x  therefore  you  merit  punish- 
ment, and  your  punishment  shall  be  this:  that  the  doctrine  102 
may  shine  forth  in  brightness,  the  Brahma  Tissa,  mighty  in 
wisdom,  will  be  reborn  in  the  house  of  the  brahman  Moggali. 
As  time  passes  on  one  of  you  shall  receive  the  boy  into  the  103 
order,  another  shall  carefully  instruct  him  in  the  word  of  the 
Sambuddha. 

There  was  a  thera  Dasaka— disciple  of   the  thera  Upali.  104 
Sonaka  was  his   (Dasaka's)  disciple,  and  both   those  theras 
were  disciples  of  Sonaka. 

In  former  times  there  lived  in  Vesall  a  learned  brahman  105 
named  Dasaka.     As  the  eldest  of  three  hundred  disciples  he  106 
dwelt  with  his  teacher,  and  at  the  end  of  twelve  years  having 
come  to  the  end  of  (studying)  the  vedas,  he,  going  about 
with   the  (other)   disciples,   met  the   thera   Upali,  dwelling 
at  the  Valika-monastery,  after  he  had  established  the  sacred  107 
word  (in  council),  and  sitting  down  near  him  he  questioned 
him  concerning  hard  passages  in  the  vedas,  and  the  other 
expounded  them  to  him.     '  A  doctrine  is  come  after  all  the  108 
doctrines,    O   brahman,   yet    all   doctrines    end   in   the   one 
doctrine;  which  is  that  one?' 

Thus  spoke  the  thera  concerning  the  name  (of  the  true  109 
doctrine),  but  the  young  brahman  knew  it  not.     He  asked  : 
1  What  manta  is  this  ? '  and  when  the  answer  was  given  :  '  The 
manta  of  the  Buddha,'  he  said:  ' Impart  it  to  me,'  and  the  110 
other  answered :  '  We  impart  it  (only)  unto  one  who  wears 
our  robe.' 

And  he  (Dasaka)  asked  his  teacher  and  also  his  father  and 
mother  on  behalf   of  that   manta.2     When  he  with   three  111 
hundred  young  brahmans  had  received  from  the  thera  the 
pabbajja   the   brahman   in   time    received   the   upasampada. 
Then  to  a  thousand  (disciples)  who  had  overcome  the  asavas,3  112 

1  Imam  adhikaranam,  that  is,   in  the  work  of  the   Second 
Council. 

2  That  is,  he  asked  if  he  might  be  permitted  to  learn  it  under  the 
condition  mentioned. 

3  By  khinasava  in  v.  112  (see  note  on  3.  9)  are  understood  the 
arahants;  by  ariya  in  v.  113,  all  the  Buddha's  hearers  (Vibhanga 

D  2 


3  6  Mahdvamsa  v.  1 1 3 

among  whom  was  the  thera  Dasaka,  did  the  thera  Upali  teach 

113  the  whole  tipitaka.     Past  reckoning  is  the  number  of  the 
other  Ariyas,  and  of  those  who  yet  stood  outside  (the  religion), 
by  whom  the  pitakas  were  learned  from  the  thera. 

114  In  the  land  of  the  Kasi *  lived  the  son  of  a  caravan-guide, 
named  Sonaka.     With  his  father  and  mother  he  had  come 

115  trading,  to  Giribbaja.2     He  went,  youth  as  he  was,  fifteen 
years  old,  into  the  Veluvana  3  (monastery) ;  fifty-five  young 
brahmans,  his  companions,  came  with  him. 

116  When  he  saw  the  thera  Dasaka  there  with  his  disciples 
around  him,  faith  came  to  him  and  he  asked  him  for  the 
pabbajja- ordination.     (The  thera)   said:    f Ask  thy  teacher.' 

117  Afterwards,  the  young  Sonaka,  having  fasted  three  meal-times 
and  won  his  parents'  leave  to  enter  the  order,  came  again, 

118  and   then,  when  he   had   received   from   the   thera   Dasaka 
the  pabbajja  and  the  upasanipada,  together  with  those  other 

119  youths,  he  learned  the  three  pitakas.     Amid  the  company  of 
the  thousand  disciples  of  the  thera,  who  had  overcome  the 
asavas,  who  were  versed  in  the  pitakas,  the  ascetic  Sonaka 
was  the  foremost. 

120  In  the  city  that  bears  the  name  of  the  patali  flower4  there 
lived  the  wise  Siggava,  son  of  a  minister.     He,  when  eighteen 

121  years  old  and  dwelling  in  three  palaces  fitted  for  the  three 
seasons    of   the    year,   went,   in    company   with   his   friend 

122  Candavajji,  a  minister's  son,  and  surrounded  by  five  hundred 
followers,  to  the  Kukkutarama,5  and  visited  the  thera  Sonaka. 

123  And  when  he  perceived  that  (the  thera)  sat  sunk  in  a  trance 

372),  by  puthujjana  the   remaining  multitude  who   still    stand 
outside  the  way  leading  to  perfection. 

1  The  Kasis  (Skr.  kasi)  are  one  of  the  sixteen  tribes  of  northern 
India,  settled  in  the  district  round  Benares.     Kasi  is  also  the  old 
name  of  Benares.    RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  24. 

2  The  old  capital  of  Magadha,  Skr.  girivraja  'Mountain  Strong- 
hold '.    It  was  situated  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  at  the  foot  of  which 
afterwards  Rajagaha  was  built.    RHYS  DAVIDS,  I  c.,  p.  37. 

8  I.  e.  Bamboo-grove. 

4  I.e.  Pataliputta.     See  note  to  4.  31.     Patali  Bignonia  suave- 
olens. 

6  A  monastery  in  Pataliputta.  V.  A.  SMITH,  Asoka,  pp.  183, 193, 194. 


v.  135  The  Third  Council  37 

with  senses  restrained  *  and  did  not  answer  his  greeting,  he 
asked  the  brotherhood  about  this  matter.     They  said  :  '  Those  124 
who  are  deep  in  a  trance  give  no  reply.'     (So  he  asked)  f  How 
come  they  forth  from  (the  trance)  ? '    And  the  bhikkhus  said  : 
c  At  a  call  from  the  master,  or  a  call  from  the  brotherhood,  or  125 
when  the  allotted  time  is  ended,  or  at  the  approach  of  death 
they  come  forth  (from  the  trance).'  126 

As   they   saw,    speaking   thus,    that   these    (youths)  were 
destined  for  holiness,2  they  caused  the  call  from  the  brother- 
hood to  be  given ;  and  (the  thera)  awoke  from  the  trance  and 
went  to  them.     The  youth  asked  :  'Wherefore  didst  thou  not  127 
speak  to  me,  venerable  one  ? '     The  (thera)  answered :  '  We 
were  enjoying  that  which  is  for  us  to  enjoy.'     The  (young 
man)  said:  '  Let  us  also  enjoy  this.'     He  answered:  'Those  128 
only  can  we  cause  to  enjoy  it  who  are  like  unto  us.' 

Then,  with  their  parents'  leave,  the  young  Siggava  and  129 
Candavajji  and  their  five  hundred  followers  likewise  received 
the  pabbajja  and  (afterwards)  the  upasampada-ordination  from 
the  thera  Sonaka.     With  him  as  their  master  the  two  eagerly  130 
studied  the  three  pitakas  and  attained  to  the  six  supernormal 
powers.3 

Thereafter  when  Siggava  knew  that  Tissa  had  been  born  131 
into  this  world,  the  thera,  from  that  time,  frequented  his 
house  for  seven  years.     And  not  for  seven  years  did  it  befall  132 
him  to  hear  the  words  '  Go  further  on  '  (said  to  him).     But  in 
the  eighth  year  did  he  hear  those  words  t  Go  further  on ',  in 
that  house.    As  he  went  forth  the  brahman  Moggali,  who  was  133 
even  then  coming  in,  saw  him  and  asked  him :  '  Hast  thou 
received  aught  in  our  house  ? '     And  he  answered :  '  Yes.' 
When  (Moggali)  went   into  his  house  he  heard  (what  had  134 
befallen)  and  when  the  thera  came  to  the  house  again,  on  the 
second  day  afterwards,  he  reproached  him  with  the  lie.     And  135 

1  Samapattisamapannam.  'There  are  eight  samapattis, 
attainments  or  endowments,  which  are  eight  successive  states  induced 
by  the  ecstatic  meditation,'  CHILDERS,  P.D.  s.v.  See  SPENCE  HARDY, 
Manual  of  Buddhism,  p.  170,  and  J.P.T.S.,  1909,  p.  61. 

a  See  note  to  5.  45. 

3  On  the  six  abhinna,  see  note  to  4.  12. 


38  Mahdvamsa  v.  136 

when  he  had  heard  the  thera's  words  the  brahman,  full  of 

136  faith,  gave  him  continual  alms  of  his  own  food,  and  little  by 
little  did   all   of   his   household   become    believers,  and   the 
brahman  continually  offered  hospitality  (to  the  thera),  giving 
him  a  seat  in  his  house. 

137  So  as  time  passed  the  young-  Tissa  gradually  came  to  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  and  reached  the  further  shore  of  the 

138  ocean  of  the  three  vedas.    The  thera,  thinking  that  he  might 
have  speech  with  him  in  this  way,  made  all  the  seats  in  his 

139  house  to  vanish,  save  the  seat  of  the  young  brahman.     Being 
come  from  the  Brahma-world  (this  latter)  loved  cleanliness, 
and  therefore  were  they  used  to  keep  his  chair  hung  up  for 
better  care  thereof.1 

140  Then  the  people  in  the  house,  finding  no  other  seat,  full  of 
confusion,  since  the  thera  had  to  stand,  prepared  the  seat 

141  of  the  young  Tissa  for  him.     When  the  young  brahman  re- 
turned from  his  teacher's  house  and  saw  (the  thera)  sitting 
there  he  fell  into  anger  and  spoke  to  him  in  unfriendly  wise. 

142  The  thera  said  to  him:  'Young  man,  dost  thou  know  the 
manta  ?  '    And  the  young  brahman  (for  answer)  asked  him  the 

143  same  question  again.    Since  the  thera  replied :  '  I  know  it/  he 
asked  him  concerning  hard  passages  in  the  vedas.     The  thera 

144  expounded  them  to  him;  for,  when  leading  the  lay  life,  he 
had  already  studied  the  vedas  even  to  the  end.     How  should 
he  not  be  able  to  expound  them  since  he  had  mastered  the 
four  special  sciences  ?  2 

145  '  For  him  whose  thought  arises  and  does  not  perish,  thought 
shall  perish  and  not  arise  (again) ;  but  for  him  whose  thought 
shall  perish  and  not  arise,  thought  shall  arise  (again)  and  not 
perish/3 

1  This  verse  is  suspicious  ;  the  Tika  makes  no  comment  on  it. 

2  Pabhinnapatisambhida,  see  note  to  4.  62. 

3  A  play  on  the  double  meaning  of  cittam  and  nirujjhati. 
Whosoever  thinks  aright  and  whose  thought  does  not  go  astray, 
i.  e.  whosoever  knows  the  truth,  his  intellect  comes  unto  nibbana 
never  to  return  again.  But  on  the  other  hand,  he  who  does  not  think 
aright  and  does  not  follow  the  true  doctrine  will  enter  into  a  new 
existence  and  will  not  reach  deliverance. 


v.  155  The  Third  Council  39 

The  wise  thera  asked  this  question  from  the  (chapter  called)  146 
Cittayamaka.1     And  it  was  as  the  (darkness  of)  night  to  the 
other,  and  he  said  to  him:  'What  kind  of  manta  is  that,  147 
O  bhikkhu  ? '     <  The  manta  of  the  Buddha/  answered  (the 
thera) ;  and  when  the  other  said :  '  Impart  it  to  me/  he  said  : 
'  I  impart  it  (only)  to  one  who  wears  our  robe.'  2 

So  with  the  leave  of  his  father  and  mother  (the  young  man)  148 
received  the  pabbajja-ordination,  for  the  sake  of  the  manta, 
and  the  thera,  when  he  had  ordained  him,  imparted  to  him 
duly  the  (method  of  the)   kammatthanas.3    By  practice  of  149 
meditation  this  highly  gifted  man  soon  won  the  fruit  of  sota- 
patti,4  and  when  the  thera  was  aware  of  this  he  sent  him  to  150 
the  thera  Candavajji  that  he  might   learn  the  suttapitaka 
and  abhidhammapitaka  of  him.     And  this  he  learned  (from 
Candavajji). 

And  thereafter  the  monk  Siggava,  having  conferred  on  him  151 
the  upasampada,  taught  him  the  vinaya  and  again  instructed 
him  in  the  two  other  (pitakas).    When,  afterwards,  the  young  152 
Tissa  had  gained  the  true  insight,5  he  attained  in  time  to  the 
mastery  of  the  six  supernormal  powers  and  reached  the  rank 
of  a  thera.     Far  and  wide  shone  his  renown  like  the  sun  and  153 
moon.     The  world  paid  heed  to  his  word  even  as  to  the  word 
of  the  Sambuddha. 

Here  ends  the  Story  of  the  thera  Tissa,  the  son  of  Moggali. 

One  day  the  prince6  (Tissa)  when  hunting  saw  gazelles  154 
sporting  joyously  in  the  wild.    And  at  this  sight  he  thought : 
4  Even  the  gazelles  sport  thus  joyously,  who  feed  on  grass  in  155 

1  I.  e.   '  The  double  thought/    The  reference  is  to  the  Yama- 
kappakarana  of  the  abhidhamma. 

2  Cf.  5.  109,  110. 

s  Kammatthana  'The  foundations  of  (right)  acting'.  By  this 
is  meant  the  right  method  for  the  practice  of  meditation.  See 
CHILDERS,  P.D.  s.  v. 

4  I.  e.  the  first  stage  of  sanctification.    See  note  to  1.  33. 

5  The  vipassana  is  one  of  the  signs  of  the  arahant.    It  is  tenfold. 
See  the  details  in  AUNG,  Compendium  of  Philosophy,  pp.  65  foil.,  180. 

6  U  p  a  r  a j  a,  viceregent. 


40  MaMvamsa  V.  156 

the  wild.     Wherefore  are  not  the  bhikkhus  joyous  and  gay, 
who  have  their  food  and  dwelling1  in  comfort  ? ' 

156  Returned  home  he  told  the  king  his  thought.     To  teach 
him  the  king  handed  over  to  him  the  government  of  the 

157  kingdom  for  one  week,  saying :  'Enjoy,  prince,  for  one  week, 
my  royal  state  ;  then  will  I  put  thee  to  death.'    Thus  said  the 
ruler. 

158  And  when  the  week  was  gone  by  he  asked  :  '  Wherefore  art 
thou  thus  wasted  away  ? '     And  when  (Tissa)  answered  :  '  By 
reason  of  the  fear  of  death/  the  king  spoke  again  to  him 

159  and  said:  'Thinking  that  thou  must  die  when  the  week  was 
gone  by,  thou  wast   no  longer  joyous  and  gay;  how  then 
can  ascetics  be  joyous  and  gay,  my  dear,  who  think  ever 
upon  death  ? ' 

160  And  (Tissa)  when  his  brother  spoke  thus,  was  turned  toward 
faith  in  the  doctrine  (of  the  Buddha).     And  afterwards  when 

161  he  once  went  forth  hunting,  he  saw  the  thera  Mahadham- 
marakkhita,  the  self-controlled,  sitting  at  the  foot  of  a  tree, 

162  and  fanned  by  a  cobra  with  a  branch  of  a  sala-tree.     And  that 
wise  (prince)  thought:    'When  shall  I,  like  this  thera,  be 
ordained  in  the  religion  of  the  Conqueror,  and  live  in  the 
forest-wilderness  ? ' 

163  When  the  thera,  to  convert  him,  had  come  thither  flying 
through  the  air,  standing  on  the  water  of  the  pond  in  the 

164  Asokarama,  he,  leaving  his  goodly  garments  behind  him  in  the 

165  air,  plunged  into  the  water  and  bathed  his  limbs.     And  when 
the  prince  saw  this  marvel  he  was  filled  with  joyful  faith,  and 
the  wise  man  made  this  wise  resolve:   'This  very  day  will 

166  I  receive  the  pabbajja-ordination.'     He  went  to  the  king  and 
respectfully  besought  him  to  let  him  receive  the  pabbajja. 
Since  the  king  could  not  turn  him  from  (his  resolve)  he  took 

167  him  with  him  and  went  with  a  great  retinue  to  the  vihara. 
There  (the  prince)    received   the   pabbajja   from   the  thera 

168  Mahadhammarakkhita  and  with  him  four  hundred  thousand 
persons,  but  the  number  of  those  who  afterwards  were  ordained 

169  is  not  known.     A  nephew  of  the  monarch  known  by  the 
name  Aggibrahma  was  the  consort  of  the  king's  daughter 

170  Samghamitta    and    the    son    of    these    two    (was)    named 


V.  182  The  Third  Council  41 

Sumana.1     He  (Aggibrahma)  also  craved  the  king's  leave  and 
was  ordained  together  with  the  prince. 

The  prince's  ordination,  whence  flowed  blessing  to  many  171 
folk,  was  in  the  fourth  year  of  (the  reign  of)  king  Asoka.    In  172 
the  same  year  he  received  the  upasampada-ordination,  and 
since  his  destiny  was  holiness2  the  prince,  zealously  striv- 
ing, became   an   arahant,  gifted  with   the   six   supernormal 
powers. 

All  those  beautiful  viharas  (then)  begun  they  duly  finished  173 
in  all  the  cities  within  three  years;   but.  by  the  miraculous  174 
power  of  the  thera  Indagutta,  who  watched  over  the  work, 
the  arama  named  after  Asoka  was  likewise  quickly  brought 
to  completion.     On  those  spots  which  the  Conqueror  himself  175 
had  visited  the  monarch  built  beautiful  cetiyas  here  and  there. 
On  every  side  from  the  eighty-four  thousand  cities  came  letters  176 
on  one  day  with  the  news :  ( The  viharas  are  completed.' 

When  the  great  king,  great  in  majesty,  in  wondrous  power  177 
and  valour,   received  the  letters,  he,  desiring  to  hold  high 
festival  in  all  the  aramas  at  once,  proclaimed  in  the  town  178 
with  beat  of  drum  :  '  On  the  seventh  day  from  this  day  shall 
a  festival  of  all  the  aramas  be  kept,  in  every  way,  in  all  the 
provinces.     Yojana  by  yojana  on  the  earth  shall  great  largess  179 
be  given ;  the  aramas  in  the  villages  and  the  streets  shall  be 
adorned.     In  all  the  viharas  let  lavish  gifts  of  every  kind  be  180 
bestowed  upon  the  brotherhood,  according  to  the  time  and  the 
means  (of  givers),  and  adornments,  such  as  garlands  of  lamps  181 
and  garlands  of  flowers,  here  and  there,  and  all  that  is  meet 
for  festivals,3  with  music  of  every  kind,  in  manifold  ways. 
And   all   are    to   take   upon   themselves   the   duties  of   the  182 
uposatha-day  and  hear  religious  discourse,  and  offerings  of 

1  In  my  edition  of  the  text  the   stop   should  be   deleted  after 
samiko  and  put  after  namato.     So  pi  in  v.  170  refers  to  Aggi- 
brahma. 

2  He  was  sampannaupanissayo.     Cf.  note  to  5.  45. 

3  Upahara.     The  Tika  explains  this  word  thus:    sabbe    gan- 
dhabba   sakasakaturiy  abhandam    gahetva    tattha    tattha 
viharesu    gandhabbam    va  karontu  ti    attho    'Let  all  the 
minstrels   taking  each  his  own  instrument  of  music  play  in  the 
viharas  everywhere'. 


42  Mahavamsa  V.  183 

183  many  kinds  must  they  make  on  the  same  day.'     And  all  the 
people    everywhere   held   religious   festivals   of   every  kind, 
glorious  as  the  world  of  gods,1  even  as  had  been  commanded 
and  (did)  yet  more. 

184  On  that  day  the  great  king  wearing  all  his  adornments 
with  the  women  of  his  household,  with  his  ministers  and  sur- 

185  rounded  by  the  multitude  of  his  troops,  went  to  his  own  arama, 
as  if  cleaving  the  earth.     In  the  midst  of  the  brotherhood  he 

186  stood,  bowing  down  to  the  venerable  brotherhood.     In  the 
assembly  were  eighty  kotis  of  bhikkhus,  and  among  these 

187  were  a  hundred  thousand   ascetics   who   had    overcome  the 
asavas.     Moreover  there  were  ninety  times  one  hundred  thou- 

188  sand  bhikkhums,  and  among  these  a  thousand  had  overcome 
the  asavas.     These  (monks  and  nuns)  wrought  the  miracle 
called  the  '  unveiling  of  the  world '  to  the  end  that  the  king 

189  Dhammasoka  might  be  converted. — Candasoka  (the  wicked 
Asoka)  was  he  called  in  earlier  times,  by  reason  of  his  evil 
deeds ;  he  was  known  as  Dhammasoka  (the  pious  Asoka)  after- 

190  wards  because  of  his  pious  deeds. — He  looked  around  over  the 
(whole)  Jambudipa  bounded  by  the  ocean  and  over  all  the 

191  viharas  adorned  with  the  manifold  (beauties  of)  the  festival — 
and  with  exceeding  joy,  as  he  saw  them,  he  asked  the  brethren, 
while  taking  his  seat :  f  Whose  generosity  toward  the  doctrine 
of  the  Blessed  One  was  ever  (so)  great  (as  mine),  venerable 
sirs?' 

192  The  thera  Moggaliputta  answered   the   king's  question  : 
'  Even  in  the  lifetime  of  the  Blessed  One  there  was  no  generous 
giver  like  to  thee.' 

193  When  the  king  heard  this  he  rejoiced  yet  more  and  asked  : 
'Nay  then,  is  there  a  kinsman  of  Buddha's  religion2  like 
unto  me  ? ' 

194  But  the  thera  perceived   the  destiny  of   the    king's   son 

1  The  Tika  understands  the  word   devalokamanorama  thus, 
and  adds:    nakkhattaghutthe    devanagare    devagana  viya 
manussa  manorama  mahapuja  patiyadesum  ti  attho  'As 
the  multitudes  of  gods  in  the  celestial  city,  where  festival  has  been 
proclaimed,  so  did  men  arrange  splendid  offerings'. 

2  Sasanadayada:  evidently  the  term  is  a  title  of  honour. 


V.  206  The  Third  Council  43 

Mahinda1  and  of  his  daughter  Samghamitta,  and  foresaw  the  195 
progress  of  the  doctrine  that  was  to  arise  from  (them),  and 
he,  on  whom  lay  the  charge  of  the  doctrine,  replied  thus  to 
the  king :  '  Even  a  lavish  giver  of  gifts  like  to  thee  is  not  1 96 
a  kinsman  of  the  religion;    giver  of  wealth2  is  he  called,  O  197 
ruler  of  men.     But  he  who  lets  son  or  daughter  enter  the 
religious  order  is  a  kinsman  of  the  religion  and  withal  a  giver 
of  gifts/ 

Since  the  monarch  would  fain  become  a  kinsman  of  the  198 
religion  he  asked  Mahinda  and  Samghami£ta,  who  stood  near: 
' Do   you  wish   to   receive   the   pabbajja,   dear   ones?     The  199 
pabbajja  is  held  to  be  a  great  (good).'    Then,  when  they  heard 
their  father's  words,  they  said  to  him  :  '  This  very  day  we  200 
would  fain  enter  the  order,  if  thou,  O  king,  dost  wish  it ;  for 
us,  even  as  for  thee,  will  blessing  come  of  our  pabbajja/ 

For  already  since  the  time  of  the  prince's  (Tissa's)  pabbajja  201 
had  he  resolved  to  enter  the  order,  and  she  since  (the  ordina- 
tion) of  Aggibrahma.3    Although  the  monarch  wished  to  confer  202 
on  Mahinda  the  dignity  of  prince-regent,  yet  did  he  consent 
to  his  ordination  with  the  thought :  '  This  (last)  is  the  greater 
dignity/     So  he   permitted  his  dear   son  Mahinda,   distin-  203 
guished  (above  all  others)  by  intelligence,  beauty  and  strength, 
and   his   daughter   Samghamitta,   to   be   ordained   with   all 
solemnity.4 

At  that  time  Mahinda,  the  king's  son,  was  twenty  years  204 
old,  and  the  king's  daughter  Samghamitta  was  then  eighteen 
years  old.    On  the  very  same  day  did  he  receive  the  pabbajja-  205 
and  also  the  upasampada-ordination,  and  for  her  the  pabbajja- 
ordination  and  the  placing  under  a  teacher  5  took  place  on  the 
same  day. 

The  prince's  master6  was  the  thera  named  after  Moggali; 7  206 

1  See  note  to  5.  45. 

2  Paccayadayaka.    On  paccaya  see  note  to  3.  14. 

3  Cf.  5.  167,  170. 

4  The  Tlka  explains  samaham  by  sapujasakkaram. 

5  This  was  necessary  as  Samghamitta  was  not  of  the  prescribed  age. 

6  Upajjhaya,  see  note  to  5.  69. 

7  That  is,  Moggaliputtatissa,  '  Tissa,  the  son  of  Moggali.1 


44  Mahavamsa  V.  207 

the  pabbajja-ordination  was  conferred  on  him  by  the  thera 

207  Mahadeva,  but  Majjhantika  pronounced  the  ceremonial  words,1 
and  even  in  the  very  place  where  he  (received)  the  upasam- 
pada-ordination  this  great  man  reached  the  state  of  an  arahant 
together  with  the  special  kinds  of  knowledge.2 

208  The  directress  of  Samghamitta  was  the  renowned  Dhamma- 
pala,  and  her  teacher  was  Ayu,pala ;  in  time  she  became  free 

209  from  the  asavas.      Those  two   lights  of  the  doctrine,  who 
brought  great  blessing  to  the  island  of  Lanka,  received  the 
pabbajja  in  the  sixth  year  of  king  Dhammasoka.     The  great 

210  Mahinda,  the  converter  of  the  island  (of  Lanka),  learned  the 
three  pitakas  with  his  master  in  three  years.    This  bhikkhum, 

211  even  like  the  new  moon,  and  the  bhikkhu  Mahinda,  like  the 
sun,  illumined  always  the  slcy,  the  doctrine  of  the  Sambuddha. 

212  Once  in  time  past,  a  dweller  in  the  forest,  who  went  forth 
into  the  forest  from  Pataliputta,  loved  a  wood-nymph  named 

213  Kunti.     Owing  to  the  union  with  him  she  bore  two  sons,  the 
elder  was  Tissa  and  the  younger  was  named  Sumitta.     After- 

214  wards  both  received  the  pabbajja-ordination  from  the  thera 
Mahavaruna  and  attained  to  arahantship  and  the  possession 
of  the  six  supernormal  powers. 

215  (Once)  the  elder  suffered  pains  in  the  foot  from  the  poison 
of  a  venomous  insect,  and  when  his  younger  brother  asked 
(what  he  needed)  he  told  him  that  a  handful  of  ghee  was  the 

216  remedy.     But  the  thera  set  himself  against  pointing  out  to 
the  king  what  things  needful  in  sickness,3  and  against  going 

217  in  search  of  the  ghee  after  the  midday  meal.4     '  If ,  on  thy 
begging-round,  thou  receivest  ghee,  bring  it  to  me/  said  the 

218  thera  Tissa  to  the  excellent  thera  Sumitta.     When  he  went 

1  Kammavacam    aka:    i.e.   he  was  president  of  the   chapter 
when  Mahinda  was  ordained.     Kammavaca  'is  the  name  of  the 
proceedings  at  a  ka  mm  a  or  ecclesiastical  act,  by  which  some  question 
is  decided  by  vote'.    CHILDERS,  P.D.  s.  v. 

2  See  note  to  5.  144. 

3  Gilanapaccaye  is  a  '  locative  of  aim  ',  which  concurs  with  the 
'  final  dative '  (SPEYER,  Ved.  and  Skr.  Syntax,  para.  81  b),  and  refers 
tonivedanam  'informing,  announcement'. 

4  The  begging-round  of  the  mendicants  must  be  carried  out  in  the 
forenoon,  according  to  the  rules  of  the  order. 


v.  228  TJie  Third  Council  45 

forth  on  his  begging-round  he  received  not  one  handful  of 
ghee,  and  (in  the  meanwhile)  the  pain  had  come  to  such  a  pass 
that  even  a  hundred  vessels  of  ghee  could  not  have  cured  it. 
And  because  of  that  malady  the  thera  was  near  to  death,  219 
and  when  he  had  exhorted  (the  other)  to  strive  unceasingly  he 
formed  the  resolve  to  pass  into  nibbana. 

Lifted  up  in  the  air  as  he  sat,  and  winning  mastery  of  his  220 
own  body  by  the  fire-meditation,1  according  to  his  own  free 
resolve,  he  passed  into  nibbana.     Flantes  that  broke  forth  221 
from  his  body  consumed  the  flesh  and  skin  of  the  thera's  whole 
body,2  the  bones  they  did  not  consume. 

When  the  monarch  heard  that  the  thera  had  died  in  this  222 
wise  he  went  to  his  own  arama  surrounded  by  the  multitude 
of  his  troops.     Mounted  on  an  elephant  the  king  brought  223 
down  the  bones,3  and  when  he  had  caused  due  honour  to  be 
paid  to  the  relics,  he  questioned  the  brotherhood  as  to  (the 
thera's)  illness.     Hearing  about   it   he  was  greatly  moved,  224 
and  had  tanks  made  at  the  city  gates  and  filled  them  with 
remedies  for  the  sick,  and  day  by  day  he  had  remedies  be-  225 
stowed  on  the  congregation  of  the  bhikkhus,  thinking :  might 
the  bhikkhus  never  find  remedies  hard  to  obtain. 

The  thera  Sumitta  passed  into  nibbana  even  when  he  was  226 
walking  (in  meditation)  in  the  cahkama-hall,4  and  by  this 
also  was  a  great  multitude  of  people  converted  to  the  doctrine 
(of  the  Buddha).     Both  these  theras,  the  sons  of  Kunti,  who  227 
had  wrought  a  great  good  in  the  world,  passed  into  nibbana 
in  the  eighth  year  of  Asoka. 

From  that  time  onwards  the  revenues  of  the  brotherhood  228 

1  Tejojhanavasena.    The  meditating  ascetic   concentrates  all 
his  thoughts  on  the  concept  'fire'  (tejo)  which  is  one  of  the  ten 
kasinani   or   divisions    of    kammatthana    (see    CHILDERS,    s.v. 
kasino,  and  note  to  5. 148) ;  the  effect  is  that  a  fire  arises  within  his 
body  which  consumes  him. 

2  Nimmamsaccharikam    dahi    sakalam    kayam,    literally, 
'  burned  the  whole  body  into  a  fleshless  and  skinless  one.' 

3  Which  were  still  floating  in  the  air. 

4  A  cankama  belongs  to  each  vihara.     It  is  'a  straight  piece  of 
ground  cleared  and  levelled  for  the  purpose  of  walking  up  and  down 
upon  for  exercise  and  meditation '.    See  S.B.E.  xx,  p.  103,  n.  1. 


46  Mahavartisa  V.  229 

were  exceeding  great,  and  since  those  who  were  converted 

229  later  caused  the  revenues  to  increase,  heretics  who  had  (thereby) 
lost  revenue  and  honour  took  likewise  the  yellow  robe,  for  the 

230  sake  of  revenue,  and  dwelt  together  with  thebhikkhus.    They 
proclaimed  their  own  doctrines  as  the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha 
and  carried  out  their  own  practices  even  as  they  wished. 

231  And  when  the  thera  Moggaliputta,  great  in  firmness  of 
soul,  saw  the  coming-out  of  this  exceedingly  evil  plague-boil 

232  on  the  doctrine,  he,  far-seeing,  deliberated  upon  the  right  time 
to  do  away  with  it.     And  when  he  had  committed  his  great 
company  of  bhikkhus  to  (the  direction  of)  the  thera  Mahinda, 

233  he  took  up  his  abode,  all  alone,  further  up  the  Ganges  on  the 
Ahogahga-mountain,  and  for  seven  years  he  gave  himself  up 
to  solitary  retreat. 

234  By  reason  of  the  great  number  of  the  heretics  and  their 
unruliness,  the  bhikkhus  could  not  restrain  them  by  the  law ; 

23,5  and  therefore  the  bhikkhus  in  Jambudlpa  for  seven  years  held 
no  uposatha-ceremony  nor  the  ceremony  of  pavarana  in  all 
the  aramas. 

236  When  the  great  king,  the  famed  Dhammasoka,  was  aware 
of  this,  he  sent  a  minister  to  the  splendid  Asokarama,  laying 

237  on  him  this  command:  '  Go,  settle  this  matter  and  let  the 
uposatha-festival  be  carried  out  by  the  community  of  bhikkhus 

238  in  my  arama.'     This  fool  went  thither,  and  when   he  had 
called  the  community  of  bhikkhus  together  he  announced  the 
king's  command :  '  Carry  out  the  uposatha-festival/ 

239  'We  hold   not  the   uposatha-festival   with    heretics,''  the 
community  of  bhikkhus  replied  to  that  misguided  minister. 

240  The  minister  struck  off  the  head  of  several  theras,  one  by  one, 
with  his  sword,  saying,  '  I  will  force  you  to  hold  the  uposatha- 

241  festival/     When  the  king's  brother,  Tissa,  saw  that  crime  he 
came  speedily  and  sat  on  the  seat  nearest  to  the  minister. 

242  When  the  minister  saw  the  thera  he  went  to  the  king  and  told 
him  (the  whole  matter). 

243  When  the  monarch  heard  it  he  was  troubled  and  went  with 
all  speed  and   asked  the  community  of    bhikkhus,   greatly 
disturbed  in  mind :  '  Who,  in  truth,  is  guilty  of  this  deed  that 
has  been  done  ? ' 


V.  256  The  Third  Council  47 

And  certain  of  them  answered  in  their  ignorance :  '  The  guilt  244 
is  thine/  and  others  said  :  *  Both  of  you  are  guilty ' ;  but  those 
who  were  wise  answered :   '  Thou  art  not  guilty/ 

When  the  king  heard  this  he  said  :  '  Is  there  a  bhikkhu  who  245 
is  able  to  set  my  doubts  to  rest  and  to  befriend  religion?' 
'  There   is   the   thera  Tissa,  the  son  of   Moggali,  O  king/  24G 
answered  the  brethren  to  the  king.     Then  was  the  king  filled 
with  zeal. 

He  sent  four  theras,  each  attended  by  a  thousand  bhikkhus  247 
and  four  ministers,  each  with  a  thousand  followers,  that  same  248 
day,  with  the  charge  laid  on  them  by  (the  king)  himself  to 
bring  the  thera  thither;    but  though   they  prayed  him  he 
came  not. 

When  the  king  heard  this  he  sent  again  eight  theras  and  249 
eight  ministers  each  with  a  thousand  followers,  but  even  as 
before  he  came  not. 

The  king  asked  :  '  Nay  then,  how  shall  the  thera  come? '  250 
The  bhikkhus  told  him  how  the  thera  could  be  moved  to 
come:  f  O  great  king,  if  they  shall  say  to  him,  "be  our  helper,  251 
venerable    sir,   to   befriend    religion/'   then   will    the    thera 
come/ 

Again  the  king  sent  (messengers)  sixteen  theras  and  sixteen  252 
ministers,  each  with  a  thousand  followers,  laying  that  (same) 
charge  upon  them,  and  he  said  to  them :  c  Aged  as  he  is,  the  253 
thera  will  not  enter  any  wheeled  vehicle ;  bring  the  thera  by 
ship  on  the  Ganges.' 

So  they  went  to  him  and  told  him,  and  hardly  had  he  heard  254 
(their  message)  but  he  rose  up.     And  they  brought  the  thera 
in  a  ship  and  the  king  went  to  meet  him.     Going  down  even  255 
knee-deep  into  the  water  the  king  respectfully  gave  his  right 
hand  to  the  thera,  as  he  came  down  from  the  ship.1     The  256 

1  According  to  Smp.  310,  12  foil,  the  king  had  dreamed  a  dream, 
the  night  before,  which  the  soothsayers  interpreted  thus,  that  a 
samananaga,  a  great  ascetic,  would  touch  his  right  hand.  As  the 
thera  now  laid  hold  of  the  king's  hand  the  attendants  were  about  to 
kill  him.  For  to  touch  the  king's  hand  was  a  crime  punishable  by 
death.  However,  the  king  restrained  them.  But  the  thera  laid  hold 
of  the  king's  hand  as  a  sign  that  he  accepted  him  as  his  pupil. 


48  Mahavamsa  v.  257 

venerable  thera  took  the  king's  right  hand  l  from  compassion 
toward  him,  and  came  down  from  the  ship. 

257  The  king  led  the  thera  to  the  pleasure-garden  called  Rati- 
vaddhana,  and  when  he  had  washed  and  anointed  his  feet  and 

258  had  seated  himself  the  monarch  spoke  thus,  to  test  the  thera's 

259  faculty :  '  Sir,  I  would  fain  see  a  miracle/     And  to  the  ques- 
tion which  (miracle  he  desired)  he  answered  :  *  An  earthquake/ 
And  again  the  other  said  to  him:  'Which  wouldst  thou  see, 

260  of  the  whole  (earth  shaken)  or  only  of  a  single  region  ?'   Then 
when  he  had  asked  :  '  Which  is  the  more  difficult  ?'  and  heard 
(the  reply)  :  '  The  shaking  of  a  single  region  is  the  more  diffi- 
cult/ he  declared  that  he  desired  to  see  this  last. 

261  Then  within  the  boundary  of  a  yojana  (in  extent)  did  the 
thera  place  a  waggon,  a  horse  and  a  man,  and  a  vessel  full  of 

262  water  at  the  four  cardinal  points,  and  over  this  yojana  by 
his  miraculous  power  he  caused  the  earth  to  tremble,  together 
with  the  half  of  (each  of)  these  (things)  and  let  the  king 
seated  there  behold  this.2 

263  Then  the  monarch  asked  the  thera  whether  or  not  he  him- 
self shared  the  guilt  of  the  murder  of  the  bhikkhus  by  the 

264  minister.     The  thera  taught  the  king  :  '  There  is  no  resulting 
guilt 3  without  evil  intent/  and  he  recited  the  Tittira-jataka.4 

265  Abiding  a  week  there  in  the  pleasant  royal  park  he  in- 

266  structed  the  ruler  in  the  lovely  religion  of  the  Sambuddha.   In 

1  Here  there  is  a  play  on  the  words  d  a  k  k  h  i  n  a  '  right '  and  d  a  k  k  h  i- 
neyya  'venerable*. 

2  The  expressions  are  difficult  to  render  but  the  sense  is  clear.     On 
the  boundaries  of  a  space  measuring  a  mile  in  diameter,  there  were 
placed  at  N.,  S.,  E.,  and  W.  a  waggon,  a  horse,  a  man,  and  a  vessel  full 
of  water.    The  earthquake  was  so  strictly  limited  in  its  action  that 
these  objects  were  affected  by  the  quaking  only  as  to  the  half  on  the 
inner  side,  the  other  half  remained  unmoved. 

3  In   paticcakamma   the   term  kamma    is   employed    in   the 
technical  sense  as  the  sum  of  all  good  and  evil  deeds  that  bring  of 
necessity  reward  or  punishment  as  their  result,  and  if  not  balanced 
lead  inevitably  to  a  new  existence  after  death.     Paticca  means  *  fol- 
lowing on  something,  conditioned  by  something '.  The  formation  of  the 
compound  is  the  same  as  in  paticcasamuppada,  paccayakara. 

4  FAUSBOLL,  Jdtaka  III.  64  foil.     The  Kamboclian   Mah.  inserts 
here  a  metrical  version  of  the  story. 


V.  278  Tlie  Third  Council  49 

this   same  week    the    monarch   sent   out   two   yakkhas  and 
assembled  together  all  the  bhikkhus  on  the  earth.     On  the  267 
seventh  day  he  went  to  his  own  splendid  arama  and  arranged  an 
assembly  of  the  community  of  bhikkhus  in  its  full  numbers. 

Then  seated  with  the  thera  on  one  side  behind  a  curtain  the  268 
ruler  called  to  him  in  turn  the  bhikkhus  of  the  several  con- 
fessions and  asked  them :    *  Sir,  what  did  the  Blessed  One  269 
teach  ? '     And  they  each  expounded  their  wrong  doctrine,  the 
Sassata-doctrine  and  so  forth.1     And  all  these  adherents  of  270 
false  doctrine  did  the  king  cause  to  be  expelled  from  the  order ; 
those  who  were  expelled  were  in  all  sixty  thousand.    And  now  271 
he  asked  the  rightly-believing  bhikkhus  :    '  What  does  the 
Blessed  One  teach  ? '     And  they  answered :  (  He  teaches  the 
Vibhajja-doctrine/  2 

And  the  monarch  asked  the  thera:  '  Sir,  does  the  Sam-  272 
buddha   (really)  teach  the  Vibhajja-doctrine  ? '      The  thera 
answered  :  '  Yes/    And  when  the  king  knew  this  he  was  glad 
at  heart  and  said  :  c  Since  the  community  is  (henceforth)  puri-  273 
fied,  sir,  therefore  should  the  brotherhood  hold  the  uposatha- 
festival/  and  he  made  the  thera  guardian  of  the  order  and  274 
returned  to  his  fair  capital ;  the  brotherhood  held  thenceforth 
the  uposatha-festival  in  concord. 

Out  of  the  great  number  of  the  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus  275 
the  thera  chose  a  thousand  learned  bhikkhus,  endowed  with 
the  six  supernormal  powers,  knowing  the  three  pitakas  and 
versed  in  the  special  sciences,3  to  make  a  compilation  of  the  276 
true  doctrine.     Together  with  them  did  he,  in  the  Asokarama, 
make  a  compilation  of  the  true  dhamma.4    Even  as  the  thera  277 
Mahakassapa  and  the  thera  Yasa  had  held  a  council  so  did  the 
thera  Tissa.     In  the  midst  of  this  council  the  thera  Tissa  set  278 

1  The  different  ditthiyo  or  heretical  doctrines,  reckoned  as  sixty- 
two  in  all,  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  canonical  books,  thus  in 
the  Brahmajalasuttanta  of  the  Dighanikaya  (D.  1,  13  foil.). 

2  CHILDERS  (P.  D.  s.  v.  vibhajati)  renders  the  sense  appropriately 
with  'religion  of  Logic  or  Reason'.    Vibhajjavada  is  identical 
with  theravada.     KERN,  Manual,  p.  110. 

3  See  the  notes  to  4.  62  and  4.  12. 

4  Katum  saddhammasamgaham.     See  note  to  3.  17. 

E 


50  MaMvamsa  v.  279 

forth   the  Kathavatthuppakarana,1  refuting   the  other   doc- 

279  trines.     Thus  was  this  council  under  the  protection  of  king 
Asoka  ended  by  the  thousand  bhikkhus  in  nine  months. 

280  In  the  seventeenth  year  of  the  king's  reign  the  wise  (thera) 
who  was  seventy-two  years  old,  closed  the  council  with  a  great 

281  pavarana-ceremony.2     And,  as  if  to  shout  applause  to  the  re- 
establishment  of  doctrine,  the  great  earth  shook  at  the  close 
of  the  council. 

282  Nay,  abandoning  the  high,  the  glorious  Brahma-heaven  and 
coming  down  for  the  sake  of  the  doctrine  to  the  loathsome 
world  of  men,  he,  who  had  fulfilled  his  own  duty,  fulfilled  the 
duties  toward  the  doctrine.     Who   else  verily  may  neglect 
duties  toward  the  doctrine? 

Here  ends  the  fifth  chapter,  called  '  The  Third  Council ',  in 
the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion 
of  the  pious. 

1  A  work  of  the  Abhidhamma.    Kathavatthu,  ed.  by  A.  C.  TAYLOR, 
vol.  i,  ii,  P.T.S.  1894,  1897. 
8  See  note  to  12.  2. 


CHAPTEE  VI 

THE  COMING  OF  VIJAYA 

IN  the  country  of  the  Vangas  l  in  the  Vanga  capital  there  l 
lived  once  a  king  of  the  Vangas.     The  daughter  of  the  king 
of  the  Kalingas  was  that  king's  consort.     By  his  spouse  the  2 
king  had  a  daughter,  the  soothsayers  prophesied  her  union 
with  the  king  of  beasts.     Very  fair  was  she  and  very  amorous  3 
and  for  shame  the  king  and  queen  could  not  suffer  her. 

Alone  she  went  forth  from  the  house,  desiring  the  joy  of  4 
independent  life ;  unrecognized  she  joined  a  caravan  travelling 
to  the  Magadha  country.   In  the  Lala  country  a  lion  attacked  5 
the  caravan  in  the  forest,  the  other  folk  fled  this  way  and  that, 
but  she  fled  along  the  way  by  which  the  lion  had  come. 

When  the  lion  had  taken  his  prey  and  was  leaving  the  spot  6 
he  beheld  her  from  afar,  love  (for  her)  laid  hold  on  him,  and 
he  came  towards  her  with  waving  tail  and  ears  laid  back. 
Seeing  him  she  bethought  her  of  that  prophecy  of  the  sooth-  7 
sayers  which  she  had  heard,  and  without  fear  she  caressed  him 
stroking  his  limbs. 

The  lion,  roused  to  fiercest  passion  by  her  touch,  took  her  8 
upon  his  back  and  bore  her  with  all  speed  to  his  cave,  and 
there  he  was   united   with  her,  and  from   this  union  with  9 
him  the  princess  in  time  bore  twin-children,   a  son  and  a 
daughter. 

The  son's  hands  and  feet  were  formed  like  a  lion's  and  there-  1 0 
fore  she  named  him  Sihabahu,  but  the  daughter  (she  named) 
Slhaslvali.    When  he  was  sixteen  years  old  the  son  questioned  1 1 
his  mother  on  the  doubt  (that  had  arisen  in  him) :  '  Where- 
fore are  you  and  our  father  so  different,  dear  mother  ? '     She  1 2 
told  him  all.    Then  he  asked  :  '  Why  do  we  not  go  forth  (from 
here)  ?  '     And  she  answered :  '  Thy  father  has  closed  the  cave 
up  with  a  rock/     Then  he  took  that  barrier  before  the  great  13 

1  I.e. 
E  2 


52  Mahavamsa  VI.  14 

cave  upon  his  shoulder  and  went  (a  distance  of)  fifty  yojanas 
going  and  coming  in  one  day. 

14  Then  (once),  when  the  lion  had  gone  forth  in  search  of  prey, 
(Slhabahu)  took  his  mother  on  his  right  shoulder  and  his 

15  young  sister  on  his  left,  and  went  away  with  speed.     They 
clothed  themselves  with  branches  of  trees,  and  so  came  to  a 
border- village  and  there,  even  at  that  time,  was  a  son  of  the 

1 6  princess's  uncle,  a  commander  in  the  army  of  the  Vaiiga  king, 
to  whom  was  given  the  rule  over  the  border-country ;  and  he 
was  just  then  sitting  under  a  banyan-tree  overseeing  the  work 
that  was  done. 

17  When  he  saw  them  he  asked  them  (who  they  were)  and 
they  said:    'We  are  forest-folk ' ;  the  commander  bade  (his 

18  people)  give  them  clothing;    and  this  turned  into  splendid 
(garments).     He  had  food  offered  to  them  on  leaves  and  by 
reason  of  their  merit  these  were  turned  into  dishes  of  gold. 

1 9  Then,  amazed,  the  commander  asked  them,  '  Who  are  you  ? ' 

20  The  princess  told  him  her  family  and  clan.     Then  the  com- 
mander took  his  uncle's  daughter  with  him  and  went  to  the 
capital  of  the  Vangas  and  married  her. 

21  When   the   lion,    returning   in  haste  to   his  cave,  missed 
those  three  (persons),  he  was  sorrowful,  and  grieving  after  his 

22  son  he  neither  ate  nor  drank.     Seeking  for  his  children  he 
went  to  the  border-village,  and  every  village  where  he  came 
was  deserted  by  the  dwellers  therein. 

23  And  the  border-folk  came  to  the  king  and  told  him  this: 
f  A  lion  ravages  thy  country  ;  ward  off  (this  danger)  O  king ! ' 

24  Since  he  found  none  who  could  ward  off  (this  danger)  he 
had  a  thousand  (pieces   of  money)  led  about  the   city   on 
an  elephant's  back  and  this  proclamation  made:    'Let  him 

25  who  brings  the  lion  receive  these  ! '     And  in  like  manner  the 
monarch  (offered)  two  thousand  and  three  thousand.     Twice 

26  did  Slhabahu's1  mother  restrain  him.    The  third  time  without 
asking  his  mother's  leave,  Slhabahu  took  the  three  thousand 
gold-pieces  (as  reward)  for  slaying  his  own  father. 

27  They  presented  the  youth  to  the  king,  and  the  king  spoke 

1  Sihabhuja  in  the  text  (metri  causa!)  which  means  the  same  as 
Slhabahu  'Lion-arm'. 


VI.  43  TJie  Coming  of  Vijaya  53 

thus  to  him :  '  If  thou  shalt  take  the  lion  I  will  give  thee 
at  once  the  kingdom.'     And  he  went  to  the  opening  of  the  28 
cave,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  from  afar  the  lion  who  came 
forward,    for    love   toward   his    son,    he   shot   an    arrow   to 
slay  him. 

The  arrow  struck  the  lion's  forehead  but  because  of  his  29 
tenderness  (toward   his   son)   it  rebounded   and  fell  on   the 
earth  at  the  youth's  feet.    And  so  it  fell  out  three  times,  then  30 
did  the  king  of  beasts  grow  wrathful  and  the  arrow  sent  at 
him  struck  him  and  pierced  his  body. 

(Slhabahu)  took  the  head  of  the  lion  with  the  mane  and  31 
returned  to  his  city.     And  just  seven  days  had  passed  then 
since  the  death  of  the  king  of  the  Vangas.     Since  the  king  32 
had   no  son  the   ministers,  who  rejoiced   over  his  deed  on 
hearing  that  he  was  the  king's  grandson  and  on  recognizing  33 
his  mother,  met  all  together  and  said  of  one  accord  to  the 
prince  Slhabahu  '  Be  thou  (our)  king '. 

And  he  accepted  the  kingship  but  handed  it  over  then  to  34 
his  mother's  husband  and  he  himself  went  with  SlhasTvall  to 
the  land  of  his  birth.     There  he  built  a  city,  and  they  called  35 
it  Slhapura,  and  in  the  forest  stretching  a  hundred  yojanas 
around  he  founded  villages.     In  the  kingdom  of  Lala,  in  that  36 
city  did  Slhabahu,  ruler  of  men,  hold  sway  when  he  had  made 
Slhaslvall  his  queen.    As  time  passed  on  his  consort  bore  twin  3  7 
sons  sixteen  times,  the  eldest  was  named  Vijaya,  the  second  38 
Sumitta ;  together  there  were  thirty-two  sons.     In  time  the 
king  consecrated  Vijaya  as  prince-regent. 

Vijaya  was  of  evil  conduct  and  his  followers  were  even  (like  39 
himself),  and  many  intolerable  deeds  of  violence  were  done  by 
them.     Angered  by  this  the  people  told  the  matter  to  the  40 
king;    the   king,   speaking   persuasively   to   them,    severely 
blamed  his  son.     But  all  fell  out  again  as  before,  the  second  41 
and  yet  the  third  time ;  and  the  angered  people  said  to  the 
king  :  '  Kill  thy  son.' 

Then  did  the  king  cause  Vijaya  and  his  followers,  seven  42! 
hundred  men,  to  be  shaven  over  half  the  head1  and  put  them  43 

1  The  shaving  of  the  hair  signifies  loss  of  freedom.    In  Sinhalese 
midi  (=  Skr.  mundita  '  shaven  ')  means  '  slave '. 


54  Mahavamsa  VI.  44 

on  a  ship  and  sent  them  forth  upon  the  sea,  and  their  wives 

44  and   children   also.     The   men,    women,    and   children    sent 
forth  separately  landed  separately,  each  (company)  upon  an 

45  island,  and  they  dwelt  even  there.      The  island  where  the 
children  landed  was  called  Naggadipa l  and  the  island  where 

46  the  women  landed  Mahiladlpaka.2     But  Vijaya  landed  at  the 
haven  called  Supparaka,3  but  being  there  in  danger  by  reason 
of  the  violence  of  his  followers  he  embarked  again. 

47  The  prince  named  VIJAYA,  the  valiant,  landed  in  Lanka,  in 
the  region  called  Tambapanni  on  the  day  that  the  Tathagata 
lay  down  between  the  two  twinlike  sala-trees  to  pass  into 
nibbana. 

Here  ends  the  sixth  chapter,  called  *  The  Coming  of  Vijaya  \ 
in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion 
of  the  pious. 

1  That  is,  '  Island  of  children,1  from  nagga  '  naked '. 

2  That  is,  '  Island  of  women.' 

8  Skt.  $urparaka,  situated  on  the  west  coast  of  India,  now  Sopara 
in  the  Thana  District,  north  of  Bombay.  See  Imp.  Gazetteer  of  India,  s.v. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   CONSECRATING   OF  VIJAYA 

WHEN  the  Guide  of  the  World,  having  accomplished  the  1 
salvation  of  the  whole  world  and  having  reached  the  utmost 
stage  of  blissful  rest,  was  lying  on  the  bed  of  his  nibbana, 
in  the  midst  of  the  great  assembly  of  gods,  he,  the  great  sage,  2 
the  greatest  of  those  who  have  speech,  spoke  to  Sakka  x  who 
stood  there  near  him :  '  Vijaya,  son  of  king  Sihabahu,  is  come  3 
to  Lanka  from    the   country  of  Lala,  together  with  seven 
hundred   followers.      In   Lanka,  O   lord   of  gods,   will   my  4 
religion  be  established,  therefore  carefully  protect  him  with 
his  followers  and  Lanka/ 

When  the  lord  of  gods  heard  the  words  of  the  Tathagata  5 
he  from  respect  handed  over  the  guardianship  of  Lanka  to 
the  god  who  is  in  colour  like  the  lotus.2 

And   no    sooner   had  the  god   received   the   charge  from  6 
Sakka  than  he  came  speedily  to  Lanka  and  sat  down  at  the 
foot  of  a  tree  in  the  guise  of  a  wandering  ascetic.     And  all  7 
the  followers  of  Vijaya  came  to  him  and  asked  him  :  '  What 
island  is  this,  sir?'     'The   island  of   Lanka/  he  answered. 
1  There  are  no  men   here,  and   here  no  dangers   will  arise.'  8 
And  when  he  had  spoken  so  and  sprinkled  water  on  them  from 
his  water- vessel,  and  had  wound  a  thread  about  their  hands  3  9 
he  vanished  through  the  air.     And  there  appeared,  in  the  form 
of  a  bitch,  a  yakkhim  who  was  an  attendant  (of  Kuvanna).4 

1  A  name  of  Indra,  king  of  the  gods. 

2  Devass'  uppalavannassa,  that  is  Visnu.     The  allusion  is  to 
the  colour  of  the  BLUE  lotus  (uppala). 

3  As  a  paritta,  that  is  as  a  protecting  charm  against  the  influence 
of  demons. 

4  The    Tika    says:   Kuvannaya    Slsapati-namika   paricari- 
kayakkhini.     The   Kambodian   Mah.   also  gives  the  same  name 
Sisapatika. 


56  Mahavamsa  vii.  10 

10  One   (of  Vijaya's  men)  went  after  her,  although  he  was 
forbidden  by  the  prince  (for  he  thought),  f  Only  where  there 

1 1  is  a  village  are  dogs  to  be  found.'     Her  mistress,  a  yakkhim 
named  Kuvanna,  sat  there l  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  spinning,  as 
a  woman-hermit  might. 

1 2  When  the  man  saw  the  pond  and  the  woman-hermit  sitting 
there,  he  bathed  there  and  drank  and  taking  young  shoots  of 

1 3  lotuses  and  water  in  lotus-leaves  he  came  forth  again.     And 
she  said  to  him  :  f  Stay  !  thou  art  my  prey  ! '     Then  the  man 

1 4  stood  there  as  if  fast  bound.     But  because  of  the  power  of 
the  magic  thread  she  could  not  devour  him,  and  though  he 
was  entreated  by  the  yakkhim,  the  man  would  not  yield  up 

15  the  thread.     Then  the  yakkhim  seized  him,  and  hurled  him 
who  cried  aloud  into  a  chasm.     And  there  in  like  manner  she 
hurled  (all)  the  seven  hundred  one  by  one  after  him. 

1 6  And  when  they  all  did  not  return  fear  came  on  Vijaya ; 
armed  with  the  five  weapons  2  he  set  out,  and  when  he  beheld 

17  the  beautiful  pond,  where  he  saw  no  footstep  of  any  man 
coming  forth,  but  saw  that  woman-hermit  there,  he  thought : 

1 8  f  Surely  my  men  have  been  seized  by  this  woman/     And  he 
said  to  her,  '  Lady,  hast  thou  not  seen  my  men  ? '     '  What 
dost   thou   want   with   thy   people,   prince  ?'  she  answered. 
'  Drink  thou  and  bathe/ 

1 9  Then  was  it  clear  to  him  :    '  This  is  surely  a  yakkhim,  she 
knows  my  rank/  and  swiftly,  uttering  his  name,  he  came  at 

20  her  drawing  his  bow.     He  caught  the  yakkhim  in  the  noose 
about  the  neck,  and  seizing  her  hair  with  his  left  hand  he 

2 1  lifted  his  sword  in  the  right  and  cried  :    f  Slave !    give  me 
back  my  men,  or  I  slay  thee ! '     Then,  tormented  with  fear 

22  the  yakkhim  prayed  him  for  her  life.     '  Spare  my  life,  sir, 
I  will  give  thee  a  kingdom  and  do  thee  a  woman's  service  and 
other  service  as  thou  wilt.' 

23  And  that  he  might  not  be  betrayed  he  made  the  yakkhim 
swear  an  oath,  and  so  soon  as  the  charge  was  laid  on  her, 
'  Bring  hither  my  men  with  all  speed,'  she  brought  them  to 

1  There,  that  is  where  Vijaya's  man  followed  the  bitch. 

2  Naddhapancayudho.      The  five  weapons  are,  according  to 
CLOUGH,  sword,  bow,  battle-axe,  spear,  and  shield. 


VII.  35  The  Consecrating  of  Vijaya  57 

that   place.     When  he  said,  'These   men  are   hungry,'  she  24 
showed  them  rice  and  other  (foods)  and  goods  of  every  kind 
that  had  been  in  the  ships  of  those  traders  whom  she  had 
devoured. 

(Vijaya's)  men  prepared  the  rice  and  the  condiments,  and  25 
when  they  had  first  set  them  before  the  prince  they  all  ate 
of  them. 

1  When  the  yakkhim  had  taken  the  first  portions  (of  the  26 
meal)  that  Vijaya  handed  to  her,  she  was  well  pleased,  and 
assuming  the  lovely  form  of  a  sixteen-year-old  maiden  she  27 
approached  the  prince  adorned  with  all  the  ornaments.     At 
the  foot   of  a   tree   she   made   a  splendid  bed,  well-covered  28 
around  with  a  tent,  and  adorned  with  a  canopy.     And  seeing 
this,  the  king's  son,  looking  forward  to  the  time  to  come, 
took  her  to  him  as  his  spouse  and  lay  (with  her)  blissfully  on  29 
that  bed ;  and  all  his  men  encamped  around  the  tent. 

As  the  night  went  on  he  heard  the  sounds  of  music  and  30 
singing,  and  asked  the  yakkhim,  who  was  lying  near  him : 
1  What  means  this  noise?'     And  the  yakkhim  thought:  'I  31 
will  bestow  kingship  on  my  lord  and  all  the  yakkhas  must  be 
slain,  for  (else)  the  yakkhas  will  slay  me,  for  it  was  through 
me  that  men  have  taken  up  their  dwelling  (in  Lanka).' 2 

And  she  said  to  the  prince  :  '  Here  there  is  a  yakkha-city  32 
called  Sirisavatthu ;  the  daughter  of  the  chief  of  the  yakkhas  3  33 
who  dwells  in  the  city  of  Lanka  has  been  brought  hither, 
and  her  mother  too  is  come.4     And  for  the  wedding  there  is  34 
high   festival,   lasting   seven   days ;    therefore  there  is   this 
noise,  for  a  great  multitude  is  gathered  together.     Even  to-day  35 

1  Instead  of  verses  26-84  the  later  (Sinhalese)  recension  has  a  some- 
what divergent  reading,  the  text  of  which  is  printed  in  my  edition, 
p.  326  foil.    Appendix  A.     Cf.  ibid.,  Introd.,  p.  xxxiv. 

2  To   manussavasakarana    'because   of   (my)   bringing    about 
a  settlement  of  men',  the  Tika  adds  the  words  imasmim  dipe  'in 
this  island '. 

3  Lit.  '  of  the  eldest  yakkha.' 

4  The  Tika  calls  the  bride's  father  Mahakalasena,  the  bride  Pola- 
mitta,  the  mother  Gonda.    The  names  Kalasena  and  Polamitta  occur 
also  in  the  Kamb.  Mah. 


58  Mahavamsa  vil.  36 

do  thou  destroy  the  yakkhas,  for  afterwards  it  will  no  longer 
be  possible.' 

He  replied  :    '  How  can  I  slay  the  yakkhas  who  are  in- 

36  visible  ?  '     '  Wheresoever  they  may  be/  she  said,  '  I  will  utter 
cries,  and  where  thou  shalt  hear  that  sound,  strike  !  and  by 
my  magic  power  shall  thy  weapon  fall  upon  their  bodies/ 

37  Since  he  listened  to  her  and  did  even  (as  she  said)  he  slew 
all   the  yakkhas,  and   when  he  had  fought  victoriously  he 

38  himself  put  on  the  garments  of  the  yakkha-king  and  bestowed 
the  other  raiment  on  one  and  another  of  his  followers. 

When  he  had  spent  some  days  at  that  spot  he  went  to 

39  Tambapanni.     There  Vijaya  founded  the  city  of  Tambapanni 
and  dwelt  there,  together  with  the  yakkhim,  surrounded  by 
his  ministers. 

40  When  those  who  were  commanded  by  Vijaya  landed  from 
their  ship,  they  sat  down  wearied,  resting  their  hands  upon  the 

41  ground — and  since  their  hands  were  reddened  by  touching  the 
dust  of  the  red  earth l  that  region  and  also  the  island  were 

42  (named)  Tambapanni.2     But  the  king  Sihabahu,  since  he  had 
slain  the  lion  (was  called)  Sihala  and,  by  reason  of  the  ties 
between  him  and  them,  all  those  (followers  of  Vijaya)  were 
also  (called)  Sihala. 

43  Here    and   there   did   Vijaya's   ministers    found   villages. 
Anuradhagama  was  built  by  a  man  of  that  name  near  the 

44  Kadamba  river  ;  3  the  chaplain  Upatissa  built  Upatissagama  4 
on  the  bank  of  the  Gambhira  river,  to  the  north  of  Anu- 

45  radhagama.     Three  other  ministers  built,  each  for  himself, 
Ujjem,  Uruvela,  and  the  city  of  Vijita.5 

1  The  soil  of  Ceylon  is  composed  of  latent  which  crumbles  into 
a  red  dust. 

2  A  play  on  the  word  tambapani,  red  hand. 

8  Now  Malwatte-oya  which  flows  by  the  ruins  of  Anuradhapura. 

4  This  is  probably  to  be  sought  on  one  of  the  right-bank  tributaries 
of  the  lower  Malwatte-oya.  According  to  Mah.  28.  7  the  Gambhira-nadi 
flows  1  yojana  (i.  e.  7-8  miles)  north  of  Anuradhapura. 

B  According  to  tradition  the  remains  of  the  city  of  Vijita  exist  as 
those  ruins  which  lie  not  far  from  the  Kalu-waewa  (Kalavapi)  about 
24  miles  south  of  Anuradhapura  in  the  jungle.  TENNENT,  Ceylon, 
ii,  p.  602  foil.  I  think  the  tradition  is  right,  although  PARKER, 


vii.  58  The  Consecrating  of  Vijaya  59 

When  they  had  founded  settlements  in  the  land  the  ministers  46 
all  came  together  and  spoke  thus  to  the  prince :   ( Sire,  consent 
to  be  consecrated  as  king/     But,  in  spite  of  their  demand,  47 
the  prince  refused  the  consecration,  unless  a  maiden  of  a  noble 
house  were  consecrated  as  queen  (at  the  same  time). 

But  the  ministers,  whose  minds  were  eagerly  bent  upon  the  48 
consecrating  of   their  lord,  and  who,  although    the   means 
were  difficult,  had  overcome  all  anxious  fears  about  the  matter,  49 
sent  people,  entrusted  with  many  precious  gifts,  jewels,  pearls, 
and  so  forth,  to  the  city  of  Madhura l  in  southern  (India),  to  50 
woo  the  daughter  of  the  Pandu  king  for  their  lord,  devoted 
(as  they  were)  to  their  ruler ;    and  they  also  (sent  to  woo) 
the  daughters  of  others  for  the  ministers  and  retainers. 

When  the  messengers  were  quickly  come  by  ship  to  the  51 
city  of  Madhura  they  laid  the  gifts  and  letter  before  the  king. 
The  king  took  counsel  with  his  ministers,  and  since  he  was  52 
minded  to  send   his   daughter  (to  Lanka)   he,   having   first 
received  also  daughters  of  others  for  the  ministers  (of  Vijaya),  53 
nigh  upon  a  hundred  maidens,  proclaimed  with  beat  of  drum : 
'  Those  men  here  who  are  willing  to  let  a  daughter  depart  for 
Lanka  shall  provide  their  daughters  with  a  double  store  of  54 
clothing  and  place  them  at  the  doors  of  their  houses.     By  this 
sign  shall  we  (know  that  we  may)  take  them  to  ourselves/ 

When  he  had  thus  obtained  many  maidens  and  had  given  55 
compensation  to  their  families,  he  sent  his  daughter,  bedecked 
with  all   her   ornaments,  and  all  that  was  needful  for  the 
journey,2  and  all  the  maidens  whom  he  had  fitted  out,  accord-  56 
ing  to  their  rank,  elephants  withal  and  horses  and  waggons, 
worthy  of  a  king,  and  craftsmen  and  a  thousand  families  of  57 
the   eighteen    guilds,   entrusted   with    a  letter    to  the   con- 
queror Vijaya.     All  this  multitude  of  men  disembarked  at  58 


Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  237  foil.,  identifies  Vijitapura  with  a  suburb  of 
Polannaruwa  mentioned  in  the  twelfth  century  A.  D.  As  to  the  site 
of  Uruvela  see  28.  36  and  note. 

1  Now  Madura,  in  the  south  of  the  Madras  Presidency. 

2  The Tika explains  saparicchadam  by  paribhogabhandikam 
samakutappasadhanikam  va.     Cf.  Skt.  paricchada. 


60  Mahavamsa  VII.  59 

Mahatittha  ;  for  that  very  reason  is  that  landing-place  known 
as  Mahatittha.1 

59  Vijaya  had  one  son  and  one  daughter  by  the  yakkhim; 
when  he  now  heard  that  the  princess  had  arrived  he  said  to 

60  the   yakkhim  :    '  Go   thou  now,  dear   one,  leaving  the  two 
children  behind ;  men  are  ever  in  fear  of  superhuman  beings/ 

61  But  when  she  heard  this  she  was   seized   with   fear    of 
the  yakkhas ;  then  he  said  (again)  to  the  yakkhim :  '  Delay 
not !    I   will   bestow   on    thee   an   offering 2   by    (spending) 

62  a  thousand   (pieces  of   money)/     When  she  had  again  and 
again  besought  him  (in  vain)  she  took  her  two  children  and 
departed  for  Lankapura,  though  fearing  that  evil  should  come 
of  it. 

63  She  set  the  children  down  outside  and  went,  herself,  into 
that  city.     When  the  yakkhas  in   the  city  recognized  the 

64  yakkhim,  in  their  terror  they  took  her  for  a  spy  and  there 
was  great  stir  among  them ;    but  one  who  was  violent  killed 
the  yakkhim  with  a  single  blow  of  his  fist. 

65  But  her  uncle,  on  the  mother's  side,  a  yakkha,  went  forth 
from  the  city  and  when  he  saw  the  children  he  asked  them : 

66  ( Whose   children   are   you?'   and   hearing   that   they  were 
Kuvanna/s  he  said  :  '  Here  has  your  mother  been  slain,  and 
they  will   slay  you  also  if  they  see   you:    (therefore)   flee 
swiftly  ! ' 

67  Fleeing  with  speed  they  went  from  thence  to  the  Sumana- 
kuta.3     The  brother,  the  elder  of  the  two,  when  he  grew  up 

68  took  his  sister,  the  younger,  for  his  wife,  and  multiplying 
with  sons  and  daughters,  they  dwelt,  with  the  king's  leave, 
there  in  Malaya.4     From  these  are  sprung  the  Pulinda.5 

1  I.  c.  '  the  great  landing-place  ' ;  now  Mantota  opposite  the  island 
Manaar. 

2  Since  Kuvanna  is  a  yakkhim,  she  must  receive  like  the  devatas 
a  bali  or  religious  offering,  oblation. 

3  I.  e.  Adam's  Peak. 

*  The  central  mountain-region  in  the  interior  of  Ceylon. 

6  Pulinda,  a  designation  of  barbarous  tribes,  is  here  evidently 
a  name  of  the  Wseddas.  The  tract  of  countiy  inland  between  Colombo, 
Kalutara,  Galle  and  the  mountains  is  now  called  Sabaragamuwa  from 
Skt.  s*abara;  p.  savara,  a  synonym  of  pulinda. 


vii.  74  The  Consecrating  of  Vijaya  61 

The  envoys  of  the  Pandu  king  delivered  up  to  the  prince  69 
Vijaya  the  gifts  and  the  (maidens)  with  the  king's  daughter  at 
their  head.   When  Vijaya  had  offered  hospitality  and  bestowed  70 
honours  on  the  envoys  he  bestowed  the  maidens,  according  to 
their  rank,  upon  his  ministers  and  retainers.     According  to  71 
custom  the  ministers  in  full  assembly  consecrated  Vijaya  king 
and  appointed  a  great  festival. 

Then  king  Vijaya  consecrated  the  daughter  of  the  Pandu  72 
king  with  solemn  ceremony  as  his  queen;  he  bestowed  wealth  73 
on  his  ministers,  and  every  year  he  sent  to  his  wife's  father  a 
shell-pearl  worth  twice  a  hundred  thousand  (pieces  of  money). 

When  he  had  forsaken  his  former  evil  way  of  life,  Vijaya,  74 
the  lord  of  men,  ruling  over  all  Lanka  in  peace  and  right- 
eousness reigned,  as  is  known,  in  the  city  of  Tambapanni, 
thirty-eight  years. 

Here  ends  the  seventh  chapter,  called  '  The  Consecrating  of 
Vijaya',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 


CHAPTEE  VIII 

THE   CONSECRATING   OF  PANDUVASUDEVA 

1  THE  great  king  Vijaya,  being  in  the  last  year  (of  his  life), 
bethought  him :  '  I  am  old  and  there  lives  no  son  of  mine. 

2  The  kingdom  peopled  with  (such  great)  difficulty  may  come 
to  naught  after  my  death ;  therefore  would  I  fain  have  my 
brother  Sumitta  brought  here  (that  I  may  give)  the  govern- 

3  ment  (into  his  hands).'    When  he  had  taken  counsel  with  his 
ministers  he  sent  a  letter  to  him,  and  within  a  short  time 
after  Vijaya   had    sent  the  letter   he   passed   away   to   the 
celestial  world. 

4  When  he  was  dead  the  ministers  ruled,  dwelling  in  Upatissa- 

5  gama  while  they  awaited  the  coming  of  the  prince.     After 
the  death  of  king  Vijaya  and  before  the  coming  of  the  prince 
was  oar  island  of  Lanka  kingless  for  a  year. 

6  In   Slhapura,  after  the  death  of  king  Slhabahu,  his  son 

7  Sumitta  was  king ;  he  had  three  sons  by  the  daughter  of  the 
Madda1  king.     The  messengers  coming  to  Slhapura  handed 

8  the  letter  to  the  king.     When  he  had  heard  the  letter  the  king 
spoke  thus  to  his  three  sons :    '  I  am  old,  dear  ones ;    one 

9  of  you  must  depart  for  the  greatly  favoured  and  beauteous 
Lanka  belonging  to  my  brother,  and  there,  after  his  death, 
assume  (the  sovereignty  of)  that  fair  kingdom.' 

10  The    king's    youngest   son,   the    prince    Panduvasudeva, 
thought :  '  I  will  go  thither/   And  when  he  had  assured  himself 

1 1  of  the  success  of  his  journey  2  and  empowered  by  his  father,  he 
took  with  him  thirty-two  sons  of   ministers  and  embarked 

1 2  (with  them)  in  the  disguise  of  mendicant  monks.    They  landed 

1  Madda  =  Skt.  Madra,  now  Madras. 

2  Natva  sotthim  gatimhi  ca  (by  asking  the  soothsayers).    Tika: 
nemittikavacaneneva  janitva  'knowing  from  the  word  of  the 
soothsayers  '. 


viii.  22     The  Consecrating  of  Panduvasudeva  63 

at  the  mouth  of  the  Mahakandara l  river ;  when  the  people  saw 
these  mendicant  monks  they  received  them  with  due  respect. 

When   they  had  inquired  about  the  capital,  they  arrived  13 
gradually  approaching  (the  city),  at  Upatissagama,  protected 
by   the   devatas.     Now   a    minister   there,   charged   by  the  14 
(other)  ministers,  had  questioned  a  soothsayer  concerning  the 
coming  of  the  prince,  and  he  had  furthermore  2  foretold  him  : 
'Just  on  the  seventh  day  will  the  prince  come  and  one  who  15 
shall  spring  of  his  house  shall  establish  (here)  the  religion  of  the 
Buddha/     Now  when  the  ministers  saw  the  mendicant  monks  16 
arrive  there,  just  on  the  seventh  day,  and  inquiring  into  the 
matter  recognized  them,  they  entrusted  Panduvasudeva  with  1 7 
the  sovereignty  of  Lanka ;   but  since  he  lacked  a  consort  he 
did  not  yet  receive  the  solemn  consecration. 

A  son  of  the   Sakka  Amitodana  was  the  Sakka  Pandu.  18 
Since  he  heard  that  the  Sakyas  would  (shortly)  be  destroyed  3 
he  took  his  followers  with  him  and  went  to  another  tract  of  1 9 
land  on  the  further  side  of  the  Ganges  and  founded  a  city 
there  and  ruled  there  as  king.     He  had  seven  sons. 

His  youngest  daughter  was  called  Bhaddakaccana.     She  20 
was  (even  as)  a  woman  made  of  gold,4  fair  of  form  and  eagerly 
wooed.     For  (love  of)  her  did  seven  kings  send  precious  gifts  2 1 
to  the  king  (Pandu),  but  for  fear  of  the  kings,  and  since  he 
was  told   (by  soothsayers)  that  an  auspicious  journey  would  22 

1  Not  identified.    Probably  one  of  the  rivers  falling  into  the  sea 
north  of  Manaar. 

2  That  is,  besides  the  fact  of  Panduvasudeva's  coming  he  had  fore- 
told the  details  that  follow. 

3  The  Sakyas  were  annihilated  in  war  by  the  Kosala  king  Vidu- 
dabha,  shortly  before  the  death  of  the  Buddha ;  see  RHYS  DAVIDS, 
Buddhist  India,  p.    11.     This  catastrophe  is  foretold  to  Pandu  by 
soothsayers.      Tika:     Vidudhabhayuddhato     puretaram     eva 
nemittikavacaneneva    Sakyanam    bhavitabbam    vinasam 
janitva   ti   attho  'Since  he    knew,  even  before    the   war    with 
Vidudabha,  by  the  word  of  the  soothsayers  the  future  destruction  of 
the  Sakyas '. 

4  The  golden  colour  of  the  skin  always,  in  Sinhalese  poems,  counts 
for  a  mark  of  particular  beauty.    Kusajat.  172:  ran-ruwak  kara- 
gena.    As  a  designation    of  beautiful  women    ran-liya    'golden 
creeper'  is  employed  at  Sselalihinisandesa  55  ;  Kusajat.  557. 


64  Maliavamsa  VIII.  23 

come  to  pass,  nay,  one  with  the  result  of  royal  consecration, 
he  placed  his  daughter  speedily  upon  a  ship,  together  with 

23  thirty-two  women-friends,  and  launched  the  ship  upon  the 
Ganges,  saying:  '  Whosoever  can,  let  him  take  my  daughter/ 
And  they  could  not  overtake  her,  but  the  ship  fared  swiftly 
thence. 

24  Already  on  the  second  day  they  reached  the  haven  called 

25  Gonagamaka  J  and  there  they  landed  robed  like  nuns.     When 
they  had  inquired  about  the  capital,  they  arrived  gradually 
approaching  (the  city),  at  Upatissagama,  protected  by  the 
devatas.2 

26  One   of   the   ministers  who    had   heard  the   saying  of   a 
soothsayer,   saw   the  women  come,  and    inquiring  into  the 

27  matter  recognized  them  and  brought  them  to  the  king.     So 
his  ministers,  full  of  pious  understanding,  consecrated  as  their 
king  PANDUVASUDEVA,  whose  every  wish  was  fulfilled. 

28  When  he  had  consecrated  Subhaddakaccana,  of  noble  stature, 
as  his  own  queen,  and  had  given  those  (maidens)  who  had 
arrived  with  her  to  the  followers  who  had  come  with  him,  the 
monarch  lived  happily. 

Here  ends  the  eighth  chapter,  called  '  The  Consecrating  of 
Panduvasudeva',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene 
joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  At  the  mouth  of  the  Mahakandara-nadi.    Cf.  8.  12. 

2  The  wording  is  exactly  like  v.  13,  in  order  to  lay  stress  on  the 
parallel  in  the  proceedings.     In  the  same  way  v.  26  is  based  on 
vv.  14  and  16. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   CONSECRATING   OF  ABHAYA 

THE  queen  bore  ten  sons  and  one  daughter :    the  eldest  of  I 
all  was  named  Abhaya,  the  youngest  (child,  the)  daughter  was 
named  Citta.     When  the  brahmans  skilled  in  sacred  texts  saw  2 
her  they  foretold  :  '  For  the  sake  of  sovereignty  will  her  son 
slay  his  uncles/     When  the  brothers  resolved  :  ( let  us  kill  our  3 
young  sister/  Abhaya  restrained  them. 

In  due  time  they  lodged  her  in  a  chamber  having  but 
one   pillar,   and   the   entry  thereto  they  made  through  the  4 
king's  sleeping-chamber ;    and  within  they  placed  a  serving- 
woman,   and   a   hundred   soldiers   without.      But   since   she  5 
(Citta)  drove  men  mad  by  the  mere  sight  of  her  beauty,  the 
name  given  to  her  was  lengthened  by  an  epithet  f  Umma- 
dacitta  \l 

When  they  heard  of  the  coming  of  the  princess  Bhadda-  6 
kaccana  to  Lanka  her  brothers  also,2  except  one,  urged  by 
their  mother,  departed  thither. 

When  on  arriving  they  had  visited  the  ruler  of  Lanka,  7 
Panduvasudeva  and  their  youngest  sister  too  and  had  lamented 
with  her,3  they,  hospitably  received  by  the  king  and  having  8 
the  king's  leave,  went  about  the  island  of  Lanka  and  took  up 
their  abode  wheresoever  it  pleased  them.4 

The  place  where  Rama  settled  is  called  Ramagona,  the  9 
settlements  of  Uruvela  and  Anuradha  (are  called)  by  their 
names,  and  the  settlements  of  Vijita,  Dighayu,  and  Rohana  10 
are  named  Vrjitagama,  Dighayu,  and  Rohana.5     Anuradha  11 

1  The  allusion  is  to  ummadeti  '  makes  mad  '. 

2  Putt  a,   literally  :  '  the  sons,'  that  is,  of  the  Sakya  Pandu. 
5  Probably  over  the  fate  of  Ummadacitta. 

*  Carimsu  belongs  to  carikam  and  nivasam  both. 

5  Of.  7.  43  foil,  where  the  names  Anuradha,  Uruvela,  and  Vijita  also 
appear.  Evidently  we  have  to  do  with  a  different  tradition  as  to  the 
foundation  of  the  same  cities. 

F 


66  Mahavamsa  IX.  12 

built  a  tank  and  when  he  had  built  a  palace  to  the  south  of 

1 2  this,  he  took  up  his  abode  there.     Afterwards  the  great  king 
Panduvasudeva  consecrated  his  eldest  son  Abhaya  as  vice- 
regent. 

1 3  When  the  son  of  prince  Dlghayu,  Dighagamani,  heard  of 

1 4  Ummadacitta  he  went,  driven  by  longing  for  her.  to  Upatissa- 
gama,  and  there  sought  out  the  ruler  of  the  land.     And  this 

I  (latter)    appointed    him    together   with   the   vice-regent,   to 
service  at  the  royal  court. 

15  Now  (once)  Citta  saw  Gamani  in  the  place  where  he  stood 
opposite  her  window,  and,  her  heart  on  fire  with  love,  she 

1 6  asked  her  serving-woman :  '  Who  is  that  ?'     When  she  heard : 
'  He  is  the  son  of  thy  uncle/  she  trusted  the  matter  to  her 

1 7  attendant  and  he,  being  in  league  with  her,  fastened  a  hook- 
ladder  to  the  window  in  the  night,1  climbed  up,  broke  the 
window  and  so  came  in. 

18  So  he  had  intercourse  with  her  and  did  not  go  forth  till 
break  of  day.     And  he  returned  there  constantly,  nor  was  he 
discovered,  for  there  was  no  entry  (to  the  chamber). 

1 9  And  she  became  with  child  by  him,  and  when  the  fruit  of 
her  womb  was  ripe  the  serving-woman  told  her  mother,  and 

20  the  mother,  having  questioned  her  daughter,  told  the  king. 
The  king  took  counsel  with  his  sons  and  said  :  '  He  too  2  must 
be  received  among  us;  let  us  give  her  (in  marriage)  to  him/ 

2 1  And  saying  :   ( If  it  is  a  son  we  will  slay  him  ' ;  they  gave 
her  to  him. 

But  she,  when  the  time  of  her  delivery  was  come  near, 

22  went  to  the  lying-in-chamber.     And  thinking:  ' These  were 
accomplices  in  the  matter/  the  princes,  from  fear,  did  to  death 

23  the  herdsman  Citta  and  the  slave  Kalavela,  attendants  on 
Gamani,  since   they  would   make  no   promise.3     They  were 

1  Gavakkhamhi  dasapetva  rattim  kakkatayantakam,  lit. 
'  making  a  crab-machine  to  bite  on  to  the  window '.     For  explanation 
of  this  passage  see  Mah.  ed.,  Iiitrod.,  p.  xxvi. 

2  So  pi,  namely,  Dighagamani. 

8Patinnamadente,  that  is,  they  would  not  fall  in  with  the 
design  of  the  brothers  to  kill  the  boy  who  might  perhaps  come  i 
the  world.    Cf.  Mah.  ed.,  Introd.,  p.  xvi. 


ix.  29  The  Consecrating  of  Abhaya  67 

reborn  as  yakkhas  and  both  kept  guard  over  the  child  in  the 
mother's  womb.     And  Citta  made  her  attendant  find  another  24 
woman  who  was  near  her  delivery.     And  Citta  bore  a  son  but 
this  woman  bore  a  daughter.     Citta  caused  a  thousand  (pieces  25 
of  money)  to  be  handed  over  to  (the  other)  together  with  her 
own  son,  and  the  latter's  daughter  to  be  then  brought  to  her 
and  laid  beside  her.     When  the  king's  sons  heard  fa  daughter  26 
is  born ',  they  were  well  pleased ;   but  the  two,  mother  and 
grandmother,  joining  the  names  of  the  grandfather  and  the  27 
eldest  uncle  gave  the  boy  the  name  Pandukabhaya. 

The  ruler  of  Lanka,  Panduvasudeva,  reigned  thirty  years.  28 
When  Pandukabhaya  was  born,  he  died. 

When  the  ruler  was  dead,  the  king's  sons  all  assembled  29 
together  and  held  the  great  festival  of  consecration  of  their 
brother,  the  safety-giving  ABHAYA.1 

Here  ends  the  ninth  chapter,  called  '  The  Consecrating  of 
Abhaya ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  A  play  on  the  word  abhaya  'the  fearless',  and  abhayada 
'  bestowing  fearlessness,  freedom  from  danger,  or  security '. 


F  2 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  CONSECRATING  OF  PANDUKABHAYA 

1  (As)  commanded  by  Ummadacitta  the  serving-woman  took 
the  boy,  laid  him  in  a  basket  and  went  with  him  to  Dvara- 
mandalaka.1 

2  When  the  princes,  who  had  gone  a-hunting  in  the  Tumbara 
forest  saw  the  serving- woman  they  asked  her :  '  Where  art 

3  thou  going  ?     What  is  that  ?  '     She  answered  :  '  I  am  going 
to  Dvaramandaiaka ;  that  is  a  sweet  cake  for  my  daughter.' 

4  The  princes  said  to  her :    '  Take  it  out.'      Then  Citta  and 
Kalavela  who  had  come  forth  to  protect  (the  boy)  caused  a 

5  great  boar  to  appear  at  that  moment.     The  princes  pursued 
him ;  but  she  took  (the  boy)  and  went  thither  and  gave  the 
boy  and  a  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  secretly  to  a  certain 

6  man  who  was  entrusted  (with  the  matter).     On  that  very  day 
his  wife  bore  a  son,  and  he,  declaring :  '  My  wife  has  borne 
twin  sons/  reared  that  boy  (with  his  own). 

7  The  (boy)  was  already  seven  years  old  when  his  uncles  found 
out  (where  he  was)  arid  charged  followers  of  theirs  to  kill  (with 

8  him)  the  boys  playing  in  a  certain  pond.     Now  the  boy  was 
used  to  hide,  by  diving,  in  a  certain  hollow  tree  standing  in 
the  water  and  having  the  mouth  of  the  hollow  hidden  under 

9  water,  entering  by  the  hollow,  and  when  he  had  stayed  long 
within  he  would  come  forth  in  the  same  way,  and  being  again 
among  the  other  boys,  however  much  they  questioned  him,  he 
would  mislead  them  with  evasive  words. 

10  On  the   day  the    (princes')   people   came2   the  boy  with 
his  clothes  on  dived  into  the  water  and  stayed  hidden  in 

1 1  the  hollow  tree.  When  those  men  had  counted  the  clothes  and 

1  According  to  Mah.  23.  23  the  village  is  situated  near  the  Cetiya- 
mountain  (Mihintale),  east  of  Anuradhapura. 
8  See  Mah.  ed.,  Introd.,  p.  liii. 


x.  25         The  Consecrating  of  Pandukalhaya  69 

killed  the  other  boys  they  went  away  and  declared  :  '  The  boys 
have  all  been  killed  ! '     When  they  were  gone  that  (boy)  went  12 
to  his  foster-father's  l  house,  and  comforted  by  him  he  lived 
on  there  to  the  age  of  twelve  years. 

When  his  uncles  again  heard  that  the  boy  was  alive  they  1 3 
charged  (their  followers)  to  kill  all  the  herdsmen.     Just  on  14 
that  day  the  herdsmen  had  taken  a  deer  and  sent  the  boy  into 
the  village  to  bring  fire.     He  went  home,  but  sent  his  foster-  1 5 
father's  son  out  saying :  '  I  am  footsore,  take  thou  fire  for  the 
herdsmen ;  then  thou  too  wilt  have  some  of  the  roast  to  eat/  1 6 
Hearing  those  words  he  took  fire  to  the  herdsmen:    and  at  17 
that  moment  those  (men)  despatched  to  do  it  surrounded  the 
herdsmen  and  killed  them  all,  and  when  they  had  killed  them 
they  (went  and)  told  (the  boy's)  uncles. 

Then,  when  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  his  uncles  discovered  18 
him ;  his  mother  sent  him  a  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  and 
a  command  to  bring  him  to  (a  place  of)  safety.2      His  foster-  19 
father  told  him  all  his  mother's  message,  and  giving  him  a 
slave  and  the  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  he  sent  him  to  Pan- 
dula.    The  brahman  named  Pandula,  a  rich  man  and  learned  20 
in  the  vedas,  dwelt  in  the  southern  district  in  (the  village) 
Pandulagamaka.    The  prince  went  thither  and  sought  out  the  2 1 
brahman  Pandula.     When  this  latter  had  asked  him  :    (  Art 
thou  Pandukabhaya,  my  dear?'  and  was  answered  ' Yes',  he  22 
paid  him  honour  (as  a  guest)  and  said  :  { Thou  wilt  be  king, 
and  full  seventy  years  wilt  thou  rule ;  learn  the  art,3  my  dear ! '  23 
and  he  instructed  him,  and  by  his  son  Canda  4  also  that  art 
was  mastered  in  a  short  time. 

He  gave  him  a  hundred  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  to  enrol  24 
soldiers  and  when  five  hundred  men  had  been  enrolled  by  him 
(he  said) :  '  The  (woman)  at  whose  touch  leaves  turn  to  gold  25 

1  Ayuttaorayuttaka*  the  man  entrusted  (with  the  bringing-up) '. 

2  Tassa  rakkham  cadis i,  lit.  'and  disposed  (or  commanded)  his 
protection '. 

3  Sippam  ugganha,  in  this  case  'the  art'  is  the  knowledge 
needed  by  a  reigning  prince. 

4  Candena  cassa  puttena  belongs,  according  to  the  Tika,  to 
sippam  samapitam. 


70  Mahavamsa  x.  26 

26  make  thou  thy  queen,  and  my  son  Canda  thy  chaplain/    When 
he  had  thus  said  and  given  him  money  he  sent  him  forth  from 
thence    with   his   soldiers.      Proclaiming   his    name   he,  the 

27  virtuous  prince,  fared  forth  and  when  in  the  city  of  Pana  near 
the  Rasa-mountain l  he  had  gathered  together  seven  hundred 

28  followers  and  provision  for  all,  he  went  thence,  followed  by 
one  thousand  two  hundred  men  to  the  mountain  called  Giri- 
kanda. 

29  An  uncle  of  Pandukabhaya,  named  Girikandasiva,  drew  his 
revenues  from  this  district  that  Panduvasudeva  had  handed 

30  over  to  him.     This  prince  was  even  then  on  the  point  of  reap- 
ing (a  field)  measuring  a  hundred  karlsas ;  his  daughter  was 

31  the  beautiful  princess  named  Pall.     And  she,  with  a  great 
retinue,  had  mounted  her  splendid  waggon,  and  came  bring- 

32  ing  food  for  her  father   and  for  the  reapers.     The  prince's 
men,  who  saw  the   princess   there,  told   the   prince   (about 

33  her) ;    the  prince  coming  thither  in  haste  and  dividing  her 
followers  into  two  bands,  drove  his  own  waggon,  followed 
by  his  men,  near  her  and  asked  :  '  Where  art  thou  going  ? ' 

34  And  when  she  had  told  him  all  the  prince,  whose  heart  was 
fired  with  love,  asked  for  a  share  of  the  food. 

35  She  stepped  down  from  the  waggon  and,  at  the  foot  of  a 
banyan-tree,  she  offered  the  prince  food  in  a  golden  bowl. 

36  Then  she  took  banyan-leaves  to  entertain  the  rest  of  the  people 
(with  food)  and  in  an  instant  the  leaves  were  changed  into 

37  golden  vessels.    When  the  prince  saw  this  and  remembered  the 
brahman's  words  he  was  glad  (thinking) :  *  I  have  found  the 

38  maiden  who  is  worthy  to  be  made  queen/    So  she  entertained 
them  all,  but  yet  the  food  became  not  less ;  it  seemed  that  but 

39  one  man's  portion  had  been  taken  away.     Thus  from  that 
time  onward  that  youthful  princess  who  was  so  rich  in  virtues 
and  merit  was  called  by  the  name  Suvannapall. 

40  And  the  prince  took  the  maiden  and  mounted  his  waggon 
and  fared  onward,  fearless  and  surrounded  by  a  mighty  army. 

1  Probably  near  the  modern  Kahagalagama  'village  of  the 
Kaha  mountain ',  about  18  miles  SE.  from  Anuradhapura,  and 
10  miles  WNW.  from  the  mountain  Ritigala.  See  also  25.  50,  and 
the  Appendix  C  on  Pandukabhaya's  campaigns. 


x.  53          The  Consecrating  of  Pandukalhaya  71 

When  her  father  heard  this  he  despatched  all  his  soldiers,  and  41 
they  came  and   gave  battle  and  returned,  defeated  by  the  42 
others ;   at  that  place  (afterwards)  a  village  was  built  called 
Kalahanagara.1     When  her  five  brothers  heard  this  they  (also) 
departed  to  make  war.     And  all  those  did  Canda  the  son  of  43 
Pandula  slay ;  Lohitavahakhanda  2  was  their  battle-field. 

With  a  great  host  Pandukabhaya  marched  from  thence  to  44 
the  further  shore  of  the  Gahga  3  toward  the  Dola-mountain. 
Here  he  sojourned  four  years.    WThen  his  uncles  heard  that  he  45 
was  there  they  marched  thither,  leaving  the  king  behind,  to 
do  battle  with  him.     When  they  had  made  a  fortified  camp  46 
near  the  Dhumarakkha-mountain  they  fought  a  battle  with 
their  nephew.    But  the  nephew  pursued  the  uncles  to  this  side  47 
of  the  river,  and  having  defeated  them  in  flight  he  held  their 
fortified  camp  for  two  years. 

And  they  went  to  Upatissagama  and  told  all  this  to  the  48 
king.     And  the  king  sent  the  prince  a  letter  together  with  a 
thousand  (pieces  of  money)  saying  :  '  Keep  thou  possession  of  49 
the  land  on  the  further  shore,  but  come  not  over  to  this  shore/ 
When  the  nine  brothers  heard  of  this  they  were  wroth  with 
the  king  and  said :  '  Long  hast  thou  been,  in  truth,  a  helper  50 
to  him  I     Now  dost  thou  give  him  the  kingdom.     For  that  we 
will  put  thee  to  death/      He  yielded  up  the  government  to  51 
them,  and  with  one  accord  they  appointed  their  brother  named 
Tissa  to  be  regent. 

This  safety-giving  Abhaya4  had  reigned  as  king  in  Upatis-  52 
sagama  twenty  years. 

Now  a  yakkhinl  named  Cetiya,  who  dwelt  on  the  Dhuma-  53 


1  I.  e.  Battle-town.    A  Kalahagala  lies  to  the  south  of  Mineri-Tank 
(Manihira),  not  far  from  the  left  bank  of  the  Ambanganga,  Which 
Hows  into  the  Mahawseliganga  lower  down.     Census  of  Ceylon,  1901, 
iv,  pp.  468-469. 

2  Lit.  perhaps  '  Field  of  the  stream  of  blood '. 

3  I.  e.  Mahagangl,  now  Mahawaeliganga.  Paraganga  means,  from 
the    standpoint    of    the    narrator    (at    Anuradhapura),    the    right, 
oraganga  'this  side  ',  the  left  bank  of  the  Mahawseliganga.     As  to 
the  Dolapabbata  (now  Dolagal-wela),  see  Appendix  C. 

4  See  note  to  9.  29. 


72  MaMvanisa  X.  54 

rakkha-mountain T  near  the  pond  (called)  Tumbariyangana, 
used  to  wander  about  in  the  form  of  a  mare. 

54  And  once  a  certain  man  saw  this  beautiful  (mare)  with  her 
white  body  and  red  feet  and  told  the  prince  :  '  Here  is  a  mare 
whose  appearance  is  thus  and  so — ' 

55  The  prince  took  a  noose  and  came  to  capture  her.     When  she 
saw  him  coming  up  behind  her  she  fled  for  fear  of  his  majestic 

56  aspect.     She  fled  without  rendering  herself  invisible  and  he 
pursued  her  swiftly  as  she  fled.     Seven  times  in  her  flight  she 

57  circled  round  the  pond,  and  plunging  into  the  Mahaganga  and 
climbing  forth  again  to  the  shore  she  fled  seven  times  around 

58  the  Dhumarakkha-mountain ;  and  yet  three  times  more  she 
circled  round  the  pond  and  plunged  yet  again  in  the  Ganga, 

59  near  the  Kacchaka-ford,2  but  there  he  seized  her  by  the  mane 
and  (grasped)  a  palm-leaf  that  was  floating  down  the  stream  ; 

60  by  the  effect  of  his  merit  this  turned  into  a  great  sword.     He 
thrust  at  her  with  the  sword,  crying :  '  I  will  slay  thee.'    And 
she  said  to  him  :  '  I  will  conquer  the  kingdom  and  give  it  to 

61  thee,  lord  !     Slay  me  not ! '     Then  he  seized  her  by  the  neck 
and  boring  her  nostrils  with  the  point  of  his  sword  he  secured 
her  thus  with  a  rope;   but  she  followed  wheresoever  he  would. 

62  When  the  mighty  (hero)  had  gone  to  the  Dhumarakkha- 
mountain,  bestriding  the  mare,  he  dwelt  there  on  the  Dhuma- 

63  rakkha-mountain  four  years.     And  having  marched  thence 
with  his  force  and  come  to  the  Arittha-mountain  3  he  sojourned 
there  seven  years  awaiting  a  fit  time  to  make  war. 

64  Eight  of  his  uncles,  leaving  two  behind,4  drew  near  to  the 

65  Arittha-mountain  in  battle  array,  and  when  they  had  laid  out 
a  fortified  camp  near  a  small  city  and  had  placed  a  commander 
at  the  head  they  surrounded  the  Arittha-mountain  on  every 
side. 

1  According  to  v.  62  foil,  not  far  from  the  Kacchakatittha  (see  note 
to  v.  58),    on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mahawaeliganga.     The  Dhuma- 
rakkhapabbata  is  also  mentioned,  Mah.  37.203  (=  163  of  the  Colombo 
edition  ii). 

2  Cf.  23.  17  and  25.  12.     Now  Mahagantota,  a  ford  below  the  place 
where  Ambanganga  and  Mahawseliganga  join.     See  note  to  35.  58. 

3  Now  Ritigala,  North-Central  Province,  north  of  Habarana. 

4  Namely,  Abhaya  and  Girikandasiva. 


x.  79          The  Consecrating  of  Pandukabhaya  73 

After  speech  with  the  yakkhim,  the  prince,  according  to  66 
her  cunning  counsel,  sent  in  advance  a  company  of  his  soldiers 
taking  with  them  kingly  apparel  and  weapons  as  presents  and 
the  message:  'Take  all  this  ;  I  will  make  peace  with  you/  (>7 
But  as  they  were  lulled  to  security  thinking:  '  We  will  take  68 
him  prisoner  if  he  comes/  he  mounted  the  yakkha-mare  and 
went   forth   to  battle  at   the   head   of   a   great   host.     The  69 
yakkhinl  neighed  full  loudly  and  his  army,  inside  and  outside 
(the  camp)  l  raised  a  mighty  battle-cry.     The  prince's  men  70 
killed  all  the  soldiers  of  the  enemy's  army  and   the  eight 
uncles  with  them,  and  they  raised  a  pyramid  of  skulls.     The  71 
commander  escaped  and  fled  (for  safety)  to  a  thicket ;  that 
(same  thicket)  is  therefore  called  Senapatigumbaka.     When  72 
the  prince  saw  the  pyramid  of  skulls,  where  the  skulls  of  his 
uncles  lay  uppermost,  he  said  :  ( 'Tis  like  a  heap  of  gourds  ' ; 
and  therefore  they  named  (the  place)  Labugamaka.2 

When  he  was  thus  left   victor   in  battle,  Pandukabhaya  73 
went  thence  to  the  dwelling-place  of  his  great-uncle  Anuradha. 
The  great-uncle  handed   over  his   palace  to  him  and  built  74 
himself   a   dwelling  elsewhere;    but  he  dwelt  in  his  house. 
When  he  had  inquired  of  a  soothsayer  who  was  versed  in  the  7o 
knowledge  of  (fitting)  sites,  he  founded  the  capital,  even  near 
that  village.    Since  it  had  served  as  dwelling  to  two  Anuradhas,  76 
it  was  called  Anuradhapura,  and  also  because  it  was  founded 
under  the  constellation  Anuradha.     When  he  had  caused  the  77 
(state)   parasol  of  his  uncles  to  be  brought  and  purified  in 
a   natural   pond  that   is  here,3  PANDUKABHAYA  kept  it   for 
himself  and  with  the  water  of  that  same  pond  he  solemnized  78 
his  own  consecration ;    and  Suvannapali,  his  spouse,  he  con- 
secrated queen.     On  the  young  Canda,  even  as  he  had  agreed,  79 

1  I.  e.  the  soldiers  he  had  sent  in  advance  into  the  enemy's  camp  and 
the  army  approaching  now  with  him. 

2  I.  e.  'Village  of  Gourds/     Even  now  we  find  on  the  map,  to  the 
north-west  of  the  Ritigala,  a  place  called  Labunoruwa  =  p.  labuna- 
garaka.     Cf.  Return   of  Architectural  and  Archaeological  Remains 
.  .  .  existing  in   Ceylon,  1890,  p.  76 ;    Census  of  Ceylon,  1901,  vol.  iv, 
p.  464. 

3  I  dh  a,  i.e.  in  Anuradhapura,  the  residence  of  the  chronicler. 


74  Mahdvamsa  x.  80 

he  conferred  the  office  of  his  chaplain  and  other  appointments 
on  his  other  followers  according  to  their  merits. 

80  Because  his  mother  and  he  himself  had  been  befriended  by 
him,  he  did  not  slay  the  king  Abhaya,  his  eldest  uncle,  but 

81  handed  over  the  government  to  him  for  the  night-time:   he 
became  the  'Nagaraguttika'  (Guardian  of  the  City).   From  that 

82  time  onward  there  were  nagaraguttikas  in  the  capital.    His 
father-in-law  also,  Girikandasiva,  he  did  not  slay  but  handed 

83  over  to  this  uncle  the  district  of  Girikanda.     He  had  the 
pond l  deepened  and  abundantly  filled  with  water,  and  since 
he   had   taken    water    therefrom,    when   victorious    (for   his 
consecration),  they  called  it  Jayavapi.2 

84  He  settled  the  yakkha  Kalavela  on  the  east  side  of  the 
city,  the  yakkha  Cittaraja  at  the  lower  end  of  the  Abhaya- 

85  tank.3     The  slave- woman  who  had  helped  him  in  time  past 
and  was  re-born  of  a  yakkhim,  the  thankful  (king)  settled  at 

86  the  south  gate  of  the  City.     Within  the  royal  precincts  he 
housed  the  yakkhinl  in  the  form  of  a  mare.     Year  by  year  he 

87  had  sacrificial  offerings  made  to  them  and  to  other  (yakkhas); 
but  on  festival-days  he  sat  with  Cittaraja  beside  him  on  a 
seat  of  equal  height,  and  having  gods  and  men  to  dance  before 

88  him,  the  king  took  his  pleasure,  in  joyous  and  merry  wise. 

He  laid  out  also  four  suburbs  as  well  as  the  Abhaya-tank, 

89  the  common  cemetery,  the  place  of  execution,  and  the  chapel 
of  the  Queens  of  the  West,  the  banyan-tree  of  Vessavana  4  and 

90  the  Palmyra-palm  of  the  Demon  of  Maladies,6  the  ground  set 
apart  for  the  Yonas  and  the  house  of  the  Great  Sacrifice  ;  all 
these  he  laid  out  near  the  west  gate.6 

1  I.  e.  the  pond  in  Anuradhapura,  mentioned  in  v.  77.     Since  the 
old  name  has  been  changed,  it  is  impossible  to  identify  the  JayavSpi. 

2  I.  e.  the  tank  of  victory. 

8  See  v.  88.  The  Abhaya-vapi  which  was  laid  out  by  the  king 
Pandukabhaya  himself,  is  the  tank  now  called  Basawak-kulam. 
PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  360  foil. 

4  I.  e.  of  Kubera,  god  of  wealth  (Skt.  Vaisravana),  who  perhaps 
is  here  considered  as  a  chthonian  god. 

8  Or  the  God  of  the  Huntsmen,  according  to  the  reading  vyadha- 
devassa. 

6  On  the  various  buildings  and  foundations  mentioned  in  89  and  90, 


x.  104        The  Consecrating  of  Pandukabhaya  75 

He  set  five  hundred  candalas  to  the  work  of  cleaning1  the  91 
(streets  of  the)  town,  two  hundred  candalas  to  the  work  of 
cleaning  the  sewers,  one  hundred  and  fifty  candalas  he  em-  92 
ployed  to  bear  the  dead  and  as  many  candalas  to  be  watchers 
in  the  cemetery.     For  these  he  built  a  village  north-west  93 
of  the  cemetery  and  they  continually  carried  out  their  duty 
as  it  was  appointed. 

Toward  the  north-east  of  the  candala-village  he  made  the  94 
cemetery,  called  the  Lower  Cemetery,  for  the  candala  folk. 
North  of  this  cemetery,  between  (it  and)  the  Pasana-mountain,  95 
the  line  of   huts  for   the  huntsmen  were  built  thenceforth. 
Northward  from  thence,  as  far  as  the  Gamani-tank,1  a  her-  96 
mitage  was  made  for  many  ascetics;  eastward  of  that  same  97 
cemetery  the  ruler  built  a  house  for  the  nigantha2  Jotiya. 
In  that   same  region   dwelt  the  nigantha  named  Giri  and  98 
many  ascetics  of  various  heretical  sects.     And  there  the  lord  99 
of  the  land  built  also  a  chapel  for  the  nigantha  Kumbhanda ; 
it  was  named  after  him.     Toward  the  west  from  thence  and  100 
eastward  of  the  street  of  the  huntsmen  lived  five  hundred 
families  of  heretical  beliefs.     On  the  further  side  of  Jotiya's  101 
house  and  on  this  side  of  the  Gamani-tank  he  likewise  built 
a  monastery  for  wandering  mendicant  monks,  and  a  dwelling  102 
for  the  ajivakas  and  a  residence  for  the  brahmans,  and  in 
this  place  and  that  he  built  a  lying-in  shelter  and  a  hall 3  for 
those  recovering  from  sickness. 

Ten   years  after  his  consecration  did  Pandukabhaya  the  103 
ruler   of    Lanka   establish    the   village-boundaries   over   the 
whole  of  the  island  of  Lanka.     With  Kalavela  and  Cittaraja,  104 

see  Mah.  ed.,  Introd.,  p.  liv.     Since  the  Tika  leaves  us  in  the  lurch 
it  will  be  difficult  to  add  anything  further. 

1  The  Gamanivapi  is  perhaps  the  Karambawa-tank  which  lies 
somewhat  more  than  a  mile  north  from  the  Bulan-kulam.     PARKER, 
however,  identifies  it  with  the  Peramiyan-kulam.     Ancient  Ceylon, 
p.  364. 

2  Name  of  a  sect  of  ascetics  (the  Jaina)  who  went  about  naked. 

3  According  to  the  Tika  we  have  to  take  sivikasotthisalam  as 
sivikasalam  ca  sotthisalam  ca.     The  former  word  is  explained 
by  vijayanaghara  'house  of  delivery',  the  latter  by  gilanasala 
'hall  for  the  sick'. 


76  Mahdvamsa  x.  105 

who  were  visible  (in  bodily  form)  the  prince  enjoyed  his  good 

105  fortune,  he  who  had  yakkhas  and  bhutas  J  for  friends.     Be- 
tween the  king  Pandukabhaya  and  Abhaya  were  seventeen 
years  without  a  king. 

106  When  the  ruler  of  the  earth,  Pandukabhaya,  the  intelligent, 
being  thirty-seven  years  oLd,  had  assumed  the  rule  over  the 
kingdom,  he  reigned  full  seventy  years  in  fair  and  wealthy 2 
Anuradhapura. 

Here  ends  the  tenth  chapter,  called  '  The  Consecrating  of 
Pandukabhaya'  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene 
joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  That  is,  ghosts  ;  but  the  expression  is  ambiguous.     It  could  also 
mean  *  he  who  had  those  that  had  become  yakkhas  (namely  Kalavela 
and  Citta)  for  friends  '. 

2  Tika:   samiddhe  ti,  sampattiya  purite  addhe  va  'filled 
with  prosperity  or  wealthy  '. 


CHAPTEE  XI 

THE  CONSECRATING   OF   DEVANAMPIYATISSA 

AFTEE  his  death  his  son,  known  by  the  name  of  MUTASIVA,  1 
the  son  of  Suvannapali,  succeeded  him  in  the  government, 
which  was  (then)  in  a  peaceful  state.     The  king  laid  out  the  2 
beautiful    Mahameghavana-garden,   rich    in    all    the    good 
qualities  that  its  name  promises  l  and  provided  with  fruit- 
trees  and  flowering-trees.     At  the  time  that  the  place  was  3 
chosen  for  the  garden,  a  great  cloud,  gathering  at  an  unwonted 
season,  poured  forth  rain ;    therefore  they  called  the  garden 
Mahameghavana. 

Sixty  years  king  Mutasiva  reigned  in  splendid  Anuradha-  4 
pura,  the  fair  face  of  the  land  of  Lanka.     He  had  ten  sons,  5 
each  thoughtful  of  the  other's  welfare,  and  two  daughters 
equal 2  (in  beauty),  worthy  of  their  family.     The  second  son,  6 
known  by  the  name  Devanampiyatissa,  was  foremost  among 
all  his  brothers  in  virtue  and  intelligence. 

This   DEVANAMPIYATISSA  became  king  after  his  father's  7 
death.     Even  at  the  time  of  his  consecration  many  wonders 
came  to  pass.     In  the  whole  isle  of   Lanka  treasures  and  8 

1  Following  the  reading  of  the  Burmese  MSS.  and  the  Tika  nama- 
nugagunodito   'eminent  in  the  qualities  corresponding  to   the 
name'.    Mahameghavana  means  'grove  of  the  great  cloud'.    The 
qualities  which  it  possesses  are  such  as  accompany  abundant  rainfall: 
streams,  trees  with  thick  foliage,  shade,  coolness  and  so  forth.    Cf. 
the  explanation  of  the  Tika,  Mah.  ed.,  note  on  this  passage.    The 
Mahameghavana  was  situated  south  of  the   city  of  Anuradhapura, 
where  now  the  Mahavihara  stands.     Between  it  and  the  southern 
wall  of  the  city  was  another  park,  called  Nandana  or  Jotivana. 
See  15.  1,  8;  PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  pp.  272-274. 

2  Tika:    anukula    ti,    samanavanna;    ayam  surupa    ayam 
virupa    ti    vacanapacchinditum     anaraha     samanarupa  ; 
annamanna-anukularupasampattiya    samannagata    ti    a- 
dhippayo.    The  sense  is :  they  were  of  equal  beauty. 


78  Mahavamsa  XI.  9 

jewels  that  had  been  buried  deep  rose  up  to  the  surface  of  the 

9  earth.    Jewels  which  had  been  in  ships  wrecked  near  Lanka  and 

those  which  were  naturally  formed  there  (in  the  ocean)  issued 

10  forth  upon  the  land.     At  the  foot  of  the  Chata-mountain 
there  grew  up  three  bamboo-stems,  in  girth  even  as  a  waggon- 

11  pole.1     One  of  them,  ' the  creeper-stem/  shone  like  silver;  on 
this  might  be  seen  delightful  creepers  gleaming  with  a  golden 

12  colour.     But  one  was  the  '  flower-stem ',  on  this  again  might 
be  seen  flowers  of  many  kinds,  of  manifold  colours,  in  full 

1 3  bloom.     And  last,  one  was  the  '  bird-stem '  whereon  might  be 
seen  numbers  of  birds  and   beasts  of  many  (kinds)  and  of 

1 4  many  colours,  as  if  living.     Pearls  of  the  eight  kinds,  namely 
horse-pearl,   elephant -pearl,   waggon-pearl,  my robalan -pearl, 
bracelet-pearl,  ring-pearl,  kakudha  fruit-pearl,  and  common 

1 5  (pearls)  came  forth  out  of  the  ocean  and  lay  upon  the  shore 
in  heaps. 

16  All  this  was  the  effect  of  Devanampiyatissa's  merit.     Sap- 
phire, beryl,  ruby,  these  gems  and  many  jewels  and  those 

17  pearls  and  those  bamboo-stems  they  brought,  all  in  the  same 
week,  to  the  king. 

When  the  king  saw  them  he  was  glad  at  heart  and  thought: 

1 8  '  My  friend  Dhammasoka  and  nobody  else  is  worthy  to  have 
these  priceless  treasures ;    I  will  send  them  to  him  as  a  gift/ 

19  For  the  two  monarchs,  Devanampiyatissa  and  Dhammasoka 
already  had  been  friends  a  long  time,  though  they  had  never 
seen  each  other. 

20  The  king  sent  four  persons  appointed  as  his  envoys  :    his 
nephew  Maharittha,  who  was  the  chief  of  his  ministers,  then 

21  his  chaplain,  a  minister  and  his  treasurer,2  attended  by  a  body 
of  retainers,  and  he  bade  them  take  with  them  those  priceless 

22  jewels,  the  three  kinds  of  precious  stones,  and  the  three  stems 
(like)  waggon-poles,  and  a  spiral  shell  winding  to  the  right,  and 

1  This  must  be  the  meaning  of  rathapatoda,  although  patoda 
properly  means  '  goad,  whip '. 

2  The  Tika  also  tells  us  the  names  of  Arittha's  three  companions, 
namely  Talipabbata  (in  Kamb.  Mah.  Hali°),  Tela  and  Tissa.    These 
names  are,  we  may  conjecture,  taken  from  the  original  source  of  the 
Mah.,  the  old  Atthakatha. 


XT.  30      The  Consecrating  of  Devanampiyatissa  79 

the  eight  kinds  of  pearls.    When  they  had  embarked  at  Jambu-  23 
kola 1  and  in  seven  days  had  reached  the  haven 2  in  safety, 
and  from  thence  in  seven  days  more  had  come  to  Pataliputta,  24 
they  gave  those  gifts  into  the  hands  of  king  Dhammasoka. 
When  he  saw  them  he  rejoiced  greatly.     Thinking:  '  Here  25 
I  have  no  such  precious  things/   the  monarch,  in  his  joy, 
bestowed  on  Arittha  the  rank  of  a  commander  in  his  army, 
on  the  brahman  the  dignity  of  chaplain,  to  the  minister  he  26 
gave  the  rank  of  staff-bearer,  and  to  the  treasurer  that  of 
a  guild-lord.3 

When  he  had  allotted  to  the  (envoys)  abundance  of  (all)  27 
things  for  their  entertainment  and  dwelling-houses,  he  took 
counsel  with  his  ministers  considering  (what  should  be  sent 
as)  a  return-gift ;   and  he  took4  a  fan,5  a  diadem,  a  sword,  28 
a  parasol,  shoes,  a  turban,  ear-ornaments,6  chains,7  a  pitcher, 
yellow  sandal  wood,  a  set  of  garments  that  had  no  need  of  29 
cleansing,  a  costly  napkin,  unguent  brought  by  the  nagas, 
red-coloured    earth,    water    from    the    lake    Anotatta    and  30 
also  water  from  the   Ganges,    a   (spiral)    shell   winding   in 


1  A  landing-place  in  northern  Ceylon.    See  chiefly  19.  25. 

2  The  haven  of  Tamalitti.     See  note  to  11.  38. 

8  Very  characteristic,  and  throwing  light  on  court-life  in  India, 
chiefly  in  the  fifth  century  A.  D.  The  complimentary  bestowing  of 
titles  and  dignities  was  then  the  custom,  just  as  at  the  present  day. 

4  The  accusatives  in  the  text  are  all  dependent  on  v.  33.  From 
this  point  the  things  enumerated  are  merely  either  the  insignia  of 
a  royal  prince  or  such  as  are  used  for  the  ceremony  of  consecrating 
a  king. 

6  Valavijani  is  a  fly-whisk  (Skt.  camara)  made  of  the  hair  of 
a  yak's  tail. 

6  The  Tika  explains  vatamsa  (Skt.   avatamsa)  by  kannapi- 
landhana.     See  Vinaya  Texts,  ii,  p.  347,  note  on  C.V.  I.  13.  1.     In 
Thupav.,   p.  1723  pupphavatamsaka    is    rendered    in    Sinhalese 
malkada. 

7  That  pamanga  must  be  a  band  or  chain  is  clear  from  the  simile 
in  Thupav.  317~19.     The  Buddha  Dlpamkara  winds  the  girdle  round 
his  red  garment  as  one  might  wind  a  golden  pamanga  about  a  bunch 
of  flowers.   The  same  simile  occurs  Mahabodhiv.,  ed.  STRONG,  p.  6210 ; 
cf.  also  C.V.  5.  2.  1 ;  Sum.  Vil.  I.  8012  on  D.  1. 1. 10.    (To  be  read  thus, 
Mah.  ed.,  p.  355,  line  29.) 


80  Mahavamsa  XI.  31 

3 1  auspicious  wise,1  a  maiden  in  the  flower  of  her  youth,  utensils 
as  golden  platters,  a  costly  litter,  yellow  and  emblic  myro- 

32  balans  and  precious  ambrosial  healing1  herbs,  sixty  times  one 
hundred  waggon  loads  of  mountain-rice  brought  thither  by 
parrots,  nay,  all  that  was  needful  for  consecrating  a  king, 

33  marvellous  in  splendour;   and  sending  these  (things)  in  due 
time  as  a  gift  to  his  friend  the  lord  of  men  sent  envoys  also 

34  with  the  gift  of  the  true  doctrine,  saying  :  '  I  have  taken 
refuge  in  the  Buddha,  his  Doctrine  and  his  Order,  I  have 
declared  myself  a  lay-disciple  in  the  religion  of  the  Sakya  son; 2 

35  seek  then  even  thou,  O  best  of  men  converting  thy  mind  with 

36  believing  heart  refuge  in  these  best  of  gems  ! '  and  saying 
moreover :    ( Consecrate   my   friend  yet   again  as  king,'  he 
dismissed  his  friend's  ministers,  with  many  marks  of  honour. 

37  When  the  ministers  had  stayed  five  months,  highly  honoured 
they  set  forth  with  the  envoys,  on  the  first  day  of  the  bright 

38  half  of  the  month  Vesakha.3     Having  embarked  at  Tamalitti4 
and  landed  at  Jambukola  they  sought  out  the  king,  when 

39  they  arrived  here  on  the  twelfth  day.    The  envoys  handed  the 
gifts  to  the  ruler  of  Lanka ;  the  ruler  of  Lanka  made  them 
welcome  with  great  hospitality. 

40  But  the  envoys  most  faithful  to  their  king  consecrated  the 
ruler  of  Lanka,  whose  (first)  consecration  had  been  held  in  the 
month  Maggasira5  on  the  day  when  the  moon  first  shows 

4 1  itself,  fulfilling  the  charge  of  Dhammasoka,  yet  again  as  king, 
they  rejoicing  in  the  salvation  of  their  king  (consecrated)  him 
who  rejoiced  in  the  good  fortune  of  Lanka. 

1  Winding  towards  the  right,  dakkhinavatto ;  cf.  v.  22. 

2  I.e.  of  Buddha,   sprung  from  the  tribe  of  the   Sakyas.     See 
2.  15  foil. 

3  See  note  to  1.  12. 

4  Skt.  Tamralipti,  a  harbour  in  the  region  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Ganges,  now  Tamluk.    At  Tamralipti  the  Chinese  pilgrim  Fa-hien 
embarked  for  Ceylon  in  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century  A.  D.     See 
LEGGE,  Record  of  Buddhistic  Kingdoms,  p.  100. 

8  According  to  the  Dip.  11.  14  and  38,  the  first  coronation  of  D. 
was  held  in  the  second  winter  month  under  the  Nakkhatta  Asalha, 
iind  the  second  coronation  on  the  twelfth  day  of  the  bright  half  of 
the  Vesakha  month.  Cf.  Introduction,  para.  7. 


xi.  42      TJie  Consecrating  of  Devanampiyatissa          81 

Thus  on  the  full-moon  day  of  the  month  Vesakha  the  ruler  4  2 
of  men,  in  whose  name  was  contained  the  words  '  friend  of 
the  gods',1  bestowing1  good  upon  his  people,  held  his  con- 
secration (as  king)  in  Lanka,  where  in  every  place  they  held 
high  festival. 

Here  ends  the  eleventh  chapter,  called  f  The  Consecrating  of 
Devanampiyatissa'  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the 
serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  Devanampiyatissa  means  'Tissa,  friend  of  the  gods'. 


G 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  CONVERTING  OF   DIFFERENT  COUNTRIES 

1  WHEN  the  thera  Moggaliputta,  the  illuminator  of  the  re- 
ligion of  the  Conqueror,  had  brought  the  (third)  council  to  an 

2  end  and  when,  looking  into  the  future,  he  had   beheld  the 
founding  of  the  religion  in  adjacent  countries,  (then)  in  the 

3  month  Kattika l  he  sent  forth  theras,  one  here  and  one  there. 
The  thera  Majjhantika  he  sent  to  Kasmira  and  Gandhara,  the 

4  thera  Mahadeva  he  sent  to  Mahisamandala.     To  Vanavasa  he 
sent  the  thera  named  Rakkhita,  and  to  A.parantaka  the  Yona 

5  named  Dharnmarakkhita ;  to  Maharattha  (he  sent)  the  thera 
named  Mahadhammarakkhita,  but  the  thera  Maharakkhita  he 

6  sent  into  the  country  of  the  Yona.    He  sent  the  thera  Maj  jhima 
to  the  Himalaya  country,  and  to  Suvannabhumi  he  sent  the 

7  two  theras   Sona  and   Uttara.      The  great  thera  Mahinda, 
the  theras  Itthiya,  Uttiya,  Sambala  and  Bhaddasala  his  dis- 

8  ciples,  these  five  theras  he  sent  forth  with  the  charge :  f  Ye 
shall  found  in  the  lovely  island  of  Lanka  the  lovely  religion 
of  the  Conqueror/ 

9  At  that  time  in  Kasmira  and  Gandhara  2  did  the  naga-king 
of  wondrous  power,  Aravala,  cause  the  rain  called  '  Hail '  to 

1 0  pour  down  upon  the  ripe  crops,  and  cruelly  did  he  overwhelm 
everything  with  a  flood.    The  thera  Majjhantika  went  thither 

1 1  with  all  speed,  passing  through  the  air,  and  wrought  (miracles 
such  as)  walking  on  the  surface  of  the  water  in  Aravala's  lake 
and  so  forth.     When  the  nagas  beheld  it  they  told  their  king 
with  fury  about  this  thing. 

12  Then  full  of  fury  the  naga-king  brought  divers  terrors  to 

1  See  note  to  1.  12.  As  to  the  time  of  the  third  council,  cf.  the 
Introduction. 

8  Gandhara  comprises  the  districts  of  Peshawar  and  Rawal  Pingli 
in  the  northern  Punjab.  Kasmira  is  the  modern  Kashmir. 


xii.  25     Tlie  Converting  of  Different  Countries  83 

pass;  fierce  winds  blew,  a  cloud  gave  forth  thunder  and  rain, 
thunder  strokes  crashed,  and  lightning-  flashed  here  and  there,  1 3 
trees  and  mountain-tops  were  hurled  down.     Nagas  in  grisly  14 
forms  terrified  (beholders)  on  every  side,  he  himself  spat  forth 
smoke  and  fire  threatening  in  different  ways. 

When  the  thera  by  his  wondrous  power  had  brought  all  15 
these  terrors  to  naught,  he  said  to  the  naga-king,  showing  his 
eminent  might:  'Even  if  the  world  together  with  the  gods  16 
came  seeking  to  terrify  me,  they  would  not  be  equal  to  me  (in 
strength)  whatever  fears  and  dread  (they  may  arouse)  in  this 
place.1     Nay,  if  thou  shouldst  raise  the  whole  earth  with  the  17 
ocean  and  the  mountains,  thou  mighty  naga,  and  shouldst 
hurl  them  upon  me,  thou  couldst  in  no  wise  arouse  fear  and  18 
dread  in  me.     It  were  surely  but  thy  own  destruction,  thou 
lord  of  serpents.' 

Then  to  him,  humbled  by  these  words  the  thera  preached  19 
the  doctrine,  and  thereupon  the  naga-king  came  unto  the 
(three)  refuges  and  the  precepts  of  duty,2  and  this  likewise  20 
did   eighty-four  thousand   serpents  and   many  gandhabbas, 
yakkhas  and  kumbhandakas  3  in  the  Himalaya.     But  a  yak-  2 1 
kha  named  Pandaka  with  (his  wife)  the  yakkhim  Harita  and  his 
five  hundred  sons  obtained  the  first  fruit  (of  sanctification).4 

'Henceforth  let  no  anger  arise  as  of  old;  work  no  more  22 
harm  to  the  harvest,  for  living  beings  love  their  happiness ; 
cherish  love  for  beings,  let  men  live  in  happiness.'     Thus  23 
were  they  taught  by  him  and  they  did  according  to  (this 
teaching).    Then  the  lord  of  serpents  made  the  thera  sit  upon  24 
a  jewel-throne  and  he   stood  near,  fanning  him.     But  the  25 
dwellers  in  Kasmira  and  Gandhara  who  had  come  to  worship 

1  The  right  reading  appears  to  be  yam  ettha  bhayabheravam. 
The  construction  of  the  sentence  is,  however,  very  difficult.     For  the 
explanation  of  the  Tlka  see  Mah.  ed.,  note  on  the  passage. 

2  See  note  to  1.  32  and  62. 

3  Skt.  kumbhanda,  name  of  a  class  of  supernatural  beings  under 
the  rule  of  Virulhaka.    The  gandhabbas  (=  Skr.  gandharva)  are 
a  class  of  demigods  who  are  the  attendants  of  Dhatarattha.    Viru- 
lhaka, and  Dhatarattha  are  two  of  the  four  great  kings  of  the  world 
(lokapala),  the  regents  of  the  south  and  north. 

4  I.  e.  the  sotapattiphala.    Cf.  note  to  1.  33. 

G  2 


84  Mahavamsa  XII.  26 

the  naga-king  acknowledged  the  thera  as  the  mightier  in 
26  working  wonders,1  and  when  they  had  paid  the  thera  reverence 

they  seated  themselves  on  one  side  near   him.     The  thera 

expounded  to  them  the  dhamma,  (namely)  the  Asivisupama.2 
2  7  The  conversion  of  eighty  thousand  persons  took  place 3  and 

a  hundred  thousand  persons  received  the  pabbajja  from  the 

28  thera.    Since  then  Kasmira  and  Gandhara  shine  with  yellow 
robes  and  prize  above  all  the  three  things.4 

29  The  thera  Mahadeva  who  had  gone  to  the  Mahisamandala 5 
country  preached  in  the  midst  of  the  people  the  Devaduta- 

30  suttanta.6   Forty  thousand  (persons)  made  pure  (in  themselves) 
the  eye  of  the  truth  and  yet  forty  thousand  received  from 
him  the  pabbajja-ordination. 

3 1  The  thera  Rakkhita,  who  had  gone  to  Vanavasa,7  preached, 
floating  in  the  air  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  the  Anamatagga- 

32  samyutta.8     The  conversion  of  sixty  thousand  persons  took 
place,  thirty-seven  thousand  in  number  received  the  pabbajja 

33  from   him.      Five   hundred   viharas    were    founded   in    the 

1  Cf.  Mah.  ed.,  note  on  this  passage,  also  14.  20  with  note.    The 
positive  mahiddhika  stands  for  the  comparative. 

2  The  asivisa-sutta  of  S.  IV,  pp.  172-175,  or  the  aslvisopama 
'simile  of  the  serpent'  of  A.  II,  pp.  110-111. 

3  See  note  to  1.  32. 

4  Namely  buddha,  dhamma,  samgha,  the  Buddha,  his  doctrine 
and  his  order.    See  note  to  1.  62. 

5  Mahisamandala  is  generally  taken  as  the  modern  Mysore.   But 
FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1910,  p.  429  foil.,  has  shown  that  this  identification 
is  hardly  correct.     He  himself  takes  Mahisamandala  as  '  territory  of 
the  Mahisha '  of  which  the  capital  was  Mahishmati.     Agreeing  with 
PAROITER  he  places  this  capital  on  the  island  of  the  Narbada  river, 
now  called  Mandhata.     See  Imperial  Gazetteer  of  India,  s.  v.  Mahisa- 
mandala is,  therefore,  a  district  south  of  the  Vindhyan  mountains. 

6  I.  e. '  Discourse  on  the  Messengers  of  God.'  See  M.  Ill,  pp.  178-187 ; 
A.  I,  pp.  138-142.    The  suttanta  deals  with  old  age,  disease,  and  death 
as  messengers  of  Yama  the  god  of  death. 

7  The  Vanavasaka  or  Vanavasin  are  mentioned  in  the  Maha- 
bharata,   6.  366,  and   Harivamsa,    5232,   as   a    people    dwelling  in 
southern  India.     See  B.R.,  Skt.  Wtb.  s.vv.    There  is  also  a  modern 
town  Banavasi  in  North  Kanara  which  seems  to  have  preserved  the 
old  name.     Imp.  Gaz.  of  India,  s.v. 

•  S.  II,  pp.  178-193. 


xii.  41     The  Converting  of  Different  Countries  85 

country.     Thus  did  the  thera  establish  there  the  religion  of 
the  Conqueror. 

The   thera    Dhammarakkhita   the   Yona,   being    gone   to  34 
Aparantaka  l  and  having  preached  in  the  midst  of  the  people 
the  Aggikkhandhopama-sutta,2  gave  to  drink  of  the  nectar  of  35 
truth  to  thirty-seven  thousand  living  beings  who  had  come 
together  there,  he  who  perfectly  understood  truth  and  untruth.  36 
A  thousand  men  and  yet  more  women  went  forth  from  noble 
families  and  received  the  pabbajja. 

The  wise  Mahadhammarakkhita,  who  had  gone  to  Maha-  37 
rattha/  related  there  the  jataka  called  Mahanaradakassapa.4 
Eighty-four  thousand  persons  attained  to  the  reward  of  the  38 
path  (of  salvation),  thirteen  thousand  received  from  him  the 
pabbajja. 

The  wise  Maharakkhita  who  went  to  the  country  of  the  39 
Yona  5  delivered  in  the  midst  of  the  people  the  Kalakarama- 
suttanta.6     A  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  living  beings  40 
attained  to  the  reward  of  the  path  (of  salvation) ;  ten  thousand 
received  the  pabbajja. 

The  wise  Majjhima7  preached  in  the  Himalaya  region  whither  4 1 

1  Skr.  Aparanta'the  western  ends',  comprising  the  territory  of 
northern  Gujarat,  Kathiawar,  Kachchh,  and  Sind.     FLEET,  J.R.A.S. 
1910,  p.  427. 

2  I.  e.  '  The  discourse  on  the  parable  of  the  flames  of  fire.'    A.  IV, 
pp.  128-135. 

3  Skr.  Maharastra,  the  country  of  the  Marathi. 

4  FAUSBOLL,  Jat.  vi,  pp.  219-255. 

5  The  Yonas  (Skt.  Yavana)  are  also  mentioned,  together  with  the 
Kambojas,  in  the  Rock  Edicts  V  and  XIII  of  Asoka.     They  '  must 
mean  the  clans  of  foreign  race  (not  necessarily  Greek)  on  the  north- 
western frontier,  included  in  the  empire  (of  Asoka) '.     V.  A.  SMITH, 
Asoka,  p.  132,  n.  2.    It  is  remarkable  that  just  at  that  time  (246  B.C.) 
the  Greco-Bactrian  kingdom  was  founded  by  Diodotos.   See  SPIEGEL, 
Eran.  Alterthumsk.,  Ill,  p.  49  foil. 

6  Probably  by  this  title  is  meant  the  suttanta  24  of  the  Catukkani- 
pata  in  A.  II,  pp.  24-26.    The  Kalakaraina  is  supposed  to  be  the  place 
where  Buddha  delivered  this  discourse. 

7  The  companions  of  Majjhima,  according  to  Dip.  8.  10,  Snip.  317", 
MBv.  115s,  and  Tlka  2225,  were  the  theras  Kassapagotta,  Muladeva 
(Alakadeva),  Sahadeva,  and  Dundubhissara.     See  the  Introduction. 


86  MaMvamsa  xn.  42 

he  had  gone  with  four  theras,  the  Dhammacakkappavattana- 

42  suttanta.1    Eighty  kotis  of  living  beings  attained  to  the  reward 
of  the  path  (of  salvation).     The  five  theras  separately  con- 

43  verted  five  kingdoms  ;  from  each  of  them  a  hundred  thousand 
persons  received  the  pabbajja,  believing  in  the  doctrine  of 
the  Sammasarpbuddha. 

44  Together  with  the  thera  Uttara  the  thera  Sona  of  wondrous 

45  might  went  to   Suvannabhumi.2     Now  at  this  time,  when- 
ever a  boy  was  born  in  the  king's  palace,  a  fearsome  female 
demon  who  came  forth  out  of  the  sea,  was  wont  to  devour  (the 

46  child)  and  vanish  again.     And  at  that  very  moment  a  prince 
was  born  in  the  king's  palace.     When  the  people  saw  the 
theras  they  thought :  '  These  are  companions  of  the  demons/ 

47  and    they   came    armed    to    kill    them.      And    the    theras 
asked :    *  What  does  this  mean  ?  '    and  said  to  them  :    '  We 

48  are  pious   ascetics,  in  no   wise   companions   of  the  demon/ 
Then  the  demon  came  forth  from  the  ocean  with  her  follow- 

49  ing,  and  when  the  people  saw  them  they  raised  a  great  outcry. 

50  But  the  thera  created  twice  as  many  terrifying  demons  and 
therewith  surrounded  the  demon  and  her  following  on  every 
side.     She  thought :  '  This  (country)  is  come  into  possession 
of  these  (people)/  and,  panic-stricken,  she  took  to  flight. 

51  When  the  thera  had  made  a  bulwark  round  the  country  he 
pronounced  in  the  assembly  the  Brahmajala(suttanta).3 

52  Many  were  the  people  who  came  unto  the  (three)  refuges 
and  the  precepts  of  duty ;  sixty  thousand  were  converted  to 

1  I.  e.  '  The  discourse  of  the  setting  in  motion  the  wheel  of  the 
doctrine.'  See  M.V.  I.  6.  17  foil.  (=  Vin.  Pit.  i,  p.  10  foil.);  S.V, 
pp.  420-431 ;  S.B.E.  xi,  p.  146  foil. 

a  The  general  opinion  was,  until  recently,  that  Suvannabhumi 
'the  gold-land'  is  lower  Burma  with  adjacent  districts.  But  this 
is  very  doubtful,  since  it  is  a  fact  that  Buddhism  reached  Burma  from 
China  in  the  Mahayana-form  and  not  before  the  fourth  century  A.  D. 
FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1910,  p.  428,  suggests  that  Suvannabhumi  might  be 
the  country  in  Bengal  called  by  Hiuen-tsang  '  Ka-lo-na-su-fa-la-na  ' 
=  Karnasuvarna,  or  else  the  country  along  the  river  Son,  a  river  in 
Central  India,  and  tributary  of  the  Ganges  on  its  right  bank,  which 
is  also  called  Hiranyavaha  '  the  gold-bearer '. 

3  I.  e.  '  The  Net  of  the  Religious/  D.  I,  p.  1  foil. 


xii.  55      The  Converting  of  Different  Countries  87 

the  true  faith.     Three  thousand  five  hundred  sons  of  noble  53 
families  received  the  pabbajja  and  one  thousand  five  hundred 
daughters  of  noble  families  received  it  likewise.     Thenceforth  54 
when  a  prince  was  born  in  the  royal  palace  the  kings  gave  to 
such  the  name  Sonuttara. 

Since  they  did  even  forbear  to  enter  into  the  bliss  already  55 
won — (such  was)  also  the  renunciation  of  the  all-compassionate 
Conqueror — they  bestowed  blessing  on  the  world,1  (going)  here 
and   there.     Who  should  grow  weary  in  (striving  for)  the 
salvation  of  the  world  ? 

Here  ends  the  twelfth  chapter,  called  '  The  Converting  of 
Different  Countries ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the 
serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  The  sense  is  this :  The  theras  had  already  attained  to  arahant- 
ship  and  were  in  possession  of  nibbana.  Nevertheless  they  forebore 
to  pass  into  nibbana,  in  order  that  they  might  first  show  the  way 
salvation  to  the  world.  They  thus  followed  the  example  of  the 
Buddha  who  had  practised  the  same  renunciation  (kaddhana). 
See  M.V.  I.  5.  2  foil.  (=  Yin.  Pit,  i,  p.  4  foil.). 


CHAPTEE  XIII 

THE  COMING  OF  MAHINDA 

1  THE  great  thera  Mahinda,  of  lofty  wisdom,  who  at  that 
time  had  been  twelve  years  (a  monk),  charged  by  his  teacher 

2  and  by  the  brotherhood  to  convert  the  island  of  Lanka,  pon- 
dered on  the  fitting  time  (for  this)  and  thought :  (  Old  is  the 
king  Mutasiva ;  his  son  must  become  king/ 

3  When  he  had  resolved  to  visit  in  the  meantime  his  kinsfolk, 
he  bade  farewell  to  his  teacher   and  the    brotherhood   and 

4  having  asked  the  leave  of  the  king  he  took  with  him  the  four 
theras 1  and  also  Samghamitta/s  son,  the  miraculously  gifted 

5  samanera  Sumana,2  mighty  in  the  six  supernormal  powers;  and 
he  went  to  Dakkhinagiri  3  to  confer  on  his  kinsfolk  (the)  grace 
(of  his  preaching).     While  he  was  so  doing  six  months  passed 
away. 

6  When  he  came  in  time  to  Vedisagiri 4  the  city  of  his  mother 

7  Devi,  he  visited  his  mother  and  when  Devi  saw  her  dear  son 
she  made  him  welcome,  and  his  companions  likewise,  with 
foods  prepared  by  herself,  and  she  led  the  thera  up  to  the 
lovely  vihara  Vedisagiri. 

8  When  the  prince  Asoka,  while  ruling  over  the  realm  of 
Avanti,  that  his  father  had  bestowed  on  him,  halted  in  the 

9  town  of  Vedisa,  before  he  came  to  UjjenI,  and  met  there  a 

1 0  lovely  maiden  named  Devi,  the  daughter  of  a  merchant,  he 
made  her  his  wife ;  and  she  was  (afterwards)  with  child  by 

1 1  him  and  bore  in  UjjenI  a  beautiful  boy,  Mahinda,  and  when 
two  years  had  passed  (she  bore)  a  daughter,  Samghamitta.   At 

1  See  12.  7.  2  See  5. 170. 

3  A  vihara  in  UjjenI,  Skr.  Uj  jay  in  I.     See  note  to  5.  39. 

4  Vedisa  is  the  modern  Bhilsa  in  Gwalior  State,  situated  26  miles 
north-east  of  Bhopal.    See  Imp.  Gazetteer  of  India,  s.  v. ;  E.  MULLER, 
J.P.T.S.  1888,  p.  87  ;  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  288. 


XIIL  20  The  Coming  of  Mahinda  89 

that  time 1  she  lived  in  the  city  of  Vedisa.    The  thera  who  then  1 2 
sojourned  there,  perceiving  (that)  the  time  (was  come),  thought 
thus  :  '  In  that  great  festival  of  consecration  commanded  by  1 3 
my  father  shall  the  great  king  Devanampiyatissa  take  part, 
and  he  shall  know  the  splendour  of  the  three  things2  when  he 
has  heard  it  from  the  envoys.     He  shall  climb  the  Missaka-  14 
mountain  3  on  the  uposatha-day  of  the  month  Jettha.4     On 
that  same  day  we  will  go  to  the  beauteous  isle  of  Lanka.' 

The  great  Indra5  sought  out  the  excellent  thera  Mahinda  15 
and  said  to  him  :  '  Set  forth  to  convert  Lanka  ;  by  the  Sam- 
buddha  also  hast  thou  been  foretold  (for  this)  and  we  will  be  16 
those  who  aid  thee  there.' 

The  son  of  a  daughter  of  Devi's  sister,  (a  youth)  named 
Bhanduka,  who  had  heard  the  doctrine  preached  by  the  thera  1 7 
to  Devi,  and  who  had  obtained  the  reward  of  one  who  shall 
return  no  more  unto  life  6  remained  with  the  thera. 

When  he  had  stayed  there  a  month  the  thera,  on  the  upo-  18 
satha-day  of  the  month  Jettha,  with  the  four  theras  and 
Sumana,7  and  the  lay-disciple  Bhanduka  also,  to  the  end  that  19 
they  might  be  known  for  human  beings,8  rose  up  in  the  air 
(and  departed)  from  that  vihara ;  and  he,  the  (thera)  of  won- 
drous powers,  coming  hither  with  his  following  alighted  on  20 


1  Namely,  at  the  time  of  Mahinda's  visit. 

2  Cf.  note  to  12.  28. 

3  Now  the  mountain  Mihintale  (=  'plain  of  Mahinda',  according  to 
A.  GUNASEKARA),  8  miles  to  the  east  of  Anuradhapura. 

4  See  note  to  1.  12. 

6  A  play  upon  the  name  Mahinda. 

6  The  stage  of  anagaml  is  the  third  and  last  stage  but  one,  on 
the  path  of  salvation  leading  to  nibbana.     Such  an  one  will  not  be 
re-born,  either  in  the  world  of  gods  or  of  men,  but  only  in  a  Brahma- 
world,  where  he  will  attain  nibbana.    See  CHILDERS,  s.  v. 

7  It  seems  almost  as  if  v.  18  were  an  interpolated  verse.     If  we 
omit  it  19  follows  perfectly  well  on  17 :   '  .  .  .  remained  with  the 
thera  ;    with  this  lay-disciple  ...  he  rose  up,  &c.'    That,  besides, 
the  four  theras    and    Sumana  were   Mahinda's  fellow-travellers   is 
already  known  from  12.  7  and  13.  4. 

8  With  this  cf.  14.  31,  also  Mah.  ed.,  note  to  13.  19  b  and  Album 
Kern  205-206. 


90  Mahavamsa  xiii.  21 

the  pleasant  Missaka-mountain,  on  the  Sila-peak  on  the  open 
and  fair  Ambatthala.1 

21  He  who  was  foretold  by  the  Sage,  in  the  hour  of  death,  as 
bringing  salvation  to  Lafika,2  by  his  merit  in  converting 
Lanka,  he,  who  for  Lanka's  salvation  had  become  like  to  the 
Master,3  alighted  there,  extolled  by  the  gods  of  Lanka. 

Here  ends  the  thirteenth  chapter,  called  '  The  Coming  of 
Mahinda',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compile;!  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  Cf.  TENNENT,  Ceylon,  ii,  p.  605  foil.    The  Silakuta  is  the  northern 
peak  of  the  Mihintale-mountain.    Immediately  below  it  lies  the  little 
tableland  on  which  the  Ambatthala-dagaba  stands. 

2  Lit. '  For  the  blessing  of  L.' 

3  The  allusion  probably  is  to  the  Buddha's  legendary  visit  to  the 
island. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  ENTRY  INTO  THE  CAPITAL 

THE  king  Devanampiyatissa  who  had  arranged  a  water-  1 
festival  for  the  dwellers  in  the  capital,  set  forth  to  enjoy  the 
pleasures  of  the  chase.     Attended  by  forty  thousand  of  his  2 
men  he  went  on  foot  to  the  Missaka-mountain.     The  deva  of  3 
the  mountain  who  desired  to  show  the  theras  to  him,  appeared 
there  in  the  form  of  an  elk-stag  browsing  in  the  thicket. 
When  the  king  saw  him,  he  thought :  '  It  is  unseemly  to  kill  4 
an  unheeding  (creature) '  and  he  struck  out  a  sound  from  his 
bowstring;  the  stag  fled  towards  the  mountain.     The  king  5 
pursued,  but  the  stag  in  his  flight  drew  near  to  the  thera. 
When  the  thera  came  into  the  prince's  view  the  (deva)  himself 
vanished. 

Thinking  :    '  If  he  sees  too  many  (people)  he  will  be  too  6 
much  afraid/  the  thera  let  (the  king)  see  him  alone.     When 
the  king  beheld  him  he  stood  still  terrified.     The  thera  said  to  7 
him :  '  Come  hither,  Tissa/     Then,  from  the  calling  him  by 
his  name,  Tissa,  the  king  thought  forthwith  :   '  (That  is)  a 
yakkha/     (  Samanas  are  we,  O  great  king,  disciples  of  the  8 
King  of  Truth.     From  compassion  toward  thee  are  we  come 
hither  from  Jambudlpa/  thus  said  the  thera.    When  the  king  9 
heard  this  fear  left  him.     And  remembering  the  message  of 
his  friend,  and  persuaded  that  these  were  samanas,  he  laid  bow  1 0 
and  arrow  aside  and  approaching  the  sage  he  exchanged  greet- 
ing with  the  thera  and  sat  down  near  him. 

Then  came  his  people  and  surrounded  him  and  the  great  thera  1 1 
caused  the  others  who  had  come  with  him  to  become  visible. 
When  the  king  beheld' these  too  he  said  :  ( When  did  these  come  12 
hither  ? '    The  thera  answered  :  ' (They  came)  with  me/    And 


9  2  MaMvamsa  XI V.  1 3 

1 3  he  asked  moreover :  '  Are  there  in  Jambudipa  other  ascetics 
like  to  these  ? '    The  other  said :  '  Jambudipa  is  gleaming  with 

14  yellow  robes;    and  great  is  the  number  there  of   arahants 
learned  in  the  three  vedas,  gifted  with  miraculous  powers, 
skilled   in   reading   the   thoughts   of   others,   possessing   the 
heavenly  ear: l  the  disciples  of  the  Buddha/ 

1 5  (The  king)  then  asked :   '  By  what  way  are  you  come  ? ' 
And  since  the  answer  was :  '  Neither  by  land  nor  by  water- 
are  we   come,'  he  understood   that  they  had   come  through 
the  air. 

1 6  To  test  him  that  most  wise  (thera)  now  asked  a  subtle  ques- 
tion, and  even  as  he  was  questioned  the  monarch  answered  the 
questions  severally. 

1 7  '  What  name  does  this  tree  bear,  O  king  ? ' 
'  This  tree  is  called  a  mango/ 

'  Is  there  yet  another  mango  beside  this  ? ' 
'  There  are  many  mango-trees/ 

1 8  '  And  are  there  yet  other  trees  besides  this  mango  and  the 
other  mangoes  ? ' 

'  There  are  many  trees,  sir ;  but  those  are  trees  that  are  not 
mangoes.' 

19  'And  are  there,  beside  the  other  mangoes  and  those  trees 
which  are  not  mangoes,  yet  other  trees  ? ' 

'  There  is  this  mango-tree,  sir/ 

'  Thou  hast  a  shrewd  wit,  O  ruler  of  men  ! ' 

20  <  Hast  thou  kinsfolk,  O  king  ?  ' 
*  They  are  many,  sir/ 

'  And  are  there  also  some,  O  king,  who  are  not  kinsfolk  of 
thine  ? ' 

'  There  are  yet  more  2  of  those  than  of  my  kin/ 

21  'Is  there  yet  any  one  besides  the  kinsfolk  and  the  others ? ' 
'  There  is  yet  myself,  sir/ 

'  Good  !  thou  hast  a  shrewd  wit,  O  ruler  of  men  ! ' 

22  When  he  had  known  that  he  was  a  keen-witted  man,  the 

1  Iddhi,   cetopariyanana  and  dibbasota  are    three   of  the 
six  abhinna.    See  note  on  4.  12  (No.  I,  III,  II). 

2  The  positive  bahu,  with  the  abl.  natito,  stands  instead  of  the 
comparative.    See  12.  25  (with  note)  also  Mah.  ed.,  Introd.,  p.  liv. 


xiv.  32  Tlie  Entry  into  the  Capital  93 

wise  thera  preached  to  the  monarch  the  Culahatthipadupama- 
suttanta.1     At  the  end  of  the  discourse  he,  with  the  forty  23 
thousand  men,  came  unto  the  (three)  refuges.2 

In   the   evening1   they   brought   the  king's   meal  to  him.  24 
Although  the  king  knew  that  these  (bhikkhus)  would  not  eat 
then  he  invited  the  sages  to  the  meal,  with  the  thought :  '  It  25 
were  seemly  at  least  to  ask  them/     When  they  told  him: 
'  We  do  not  eat  now/  he  asked  concerning  the  time.     And  26 
when  he  was  told  the  time,  he  said :  '  We  will  go  into  the 
city/ 

1  Go  thou,  great  king,  we  will  stay  here/ 

'  If  that  be  so,  then  must  this  young  man  3  come  with  us/    2  7 

'  This  (youth)  is  one  who  has  attained  the  goal,4  has  grasped 
the  doctrine  and  waits  for  the  pabbajja,  (therefore)  must  he  28 
abide  near  us.     We  wish  to  bestow  on  him  the  pabbajja  now; 
depart  then,  O  king/     Then,  when  he  had  taken  leave  of  the  29 
theras  with  the  words  :    (  To-morrow  I  will  send  a  waggon, 
do  you  enter  it  and  come  into  the  city,'  he  took  Bhandu  aside 
and  asked  him  what  the  theras  intended  (to  do).     And  he  30 
told  the  king  all.     When  (the  king)  heard  the  thera's  name 
he  was  full  of  joy  and  thought :   '  This  is  blessing  for  me/ 
And  now  the  king,  whose  fear  had  left  him  because  Bhandu  31 
was  a  layman,  knew  that  these  were  human  beings.5    Saying : 
'Let  us  bestow  on  him  the  pabbajja/  the  thera  bestowed  on  32 
young  Bhanduka,  within  the  boundaries  of  that  village  and 
within  that  group  (of  bhikkhus),6  both  the  pabbajja  and  the 

1  I.e.  'The  lesser  discourse  on  the  simile  of  the  elephant's  foot- 
print.'   M.  I,  pp.  175-184. 

2  See  notes  to  1.  32  and  62.  8  Namely  Bhandu. 
4  Agataphala  is  a  synonym  of  anagamiphala.     See  13.  17. 

8  See  the  note  to  13.  19.  The  king's  remaining  fears  that  he  was 
in  the  presence  of  supernatural  beings,  were  only  overcome  by  the 
details  communicated  by  Bhandu. 

6  Every  monastery  has  its  parish,  the  bounds  of  which  (sima)  are 
strictly  fixed  according  to  M.V.  II.  11  foil.,  and  within  these  the 
ecclesiastical  proceedings  take  place.  Since  there  were  as  yet  no 
monasteries  in  Ceylon  the  boundaries  of  the  village  situated  on  Mis- 
saka  served  as  a  parish.  But  the  chapter  (gana)  which  carried  out 
the  ordination  was  formed  by  Mahinda  and  his  companions. 


94  Mahavamsa  xiv.  33 

33  upasampada-ordination,   and   even   in  the   same  moment  he 
attained  to  the  state  of  arahant. 

34  Then  the  thera  ordered  the  samanera  Sumana:  'Announce  ye 
the  time  of  preaching  the  dhamma/    He  asked  :  f  How  far,  sir, 

35  shall  I  make  the  time  to  be  heard  when  I  announce  it?'    When 
the  thera  answered  :  '  Over  all  Tambapanni,'  he  announced  the 
time  of  (preaching-  the)  dhamma,  making  it  to  be  heard,  by 
his  miraculous  power,  over  the  whole  of  Lanka. 

36  When  the  king,  who  was  seated  by  the  rock-basin  at  the 
Nagacatukka1   and   was   taking  his  repast,  heard  the  loud 

37  summons,  he  sent  a  message  to  the  thera  asking:  'Has  any 
misfortune  come  to  pass  ?  '    He  answered  :  '  No  misfortune  has 
come  to  pass ;  the  time  was  proclaimed  for  hearing  the  word 
of  the  Sambuddha.' 

38  When  the  earth-gods  heard  the  summons  of  the  samanera 
they  echoed  it  and  so  the  call  rose  up  gradually  to  Brahma's 

39  heaven.     Because  of  the  summons  there  came  together  a  great 
assembly  of  devas ;  and  the  thera  preached  before  this  gather- 
ing the  Samaeitta-sutta.2 

40  Devas  without  number   were   converted   to   the   doctrine 
and    many   nagas   and    supannas 3   came    unto    the    (three) 

41  refuges.     Even   as  when   the   thera    Sariputta   uttered   this 
discourse  so  did  the  devas  gather  together  to  hear  it  from 
Mahinda. 

42  On  the  morrow  the  king  sent  a  waggon.     The  driver  came 
and  said  :  '  Mount  into  the  waggon,  we  will  drive  to  the  city/ 

43  'We  will  not  mount  into  the  waggon;    go    thou,  we   will 
follow  thee.'     Saying  this  they,  full  of  holy  desires,4  sent  the 

44  driver  away;  and  they  rose  into  the  air  and  by  their  miraculous 
power  they  descended  to  the  east  of  the  city  in  the  place 

1  By  this  is  probably  meant  the  Nagapokuna  situated  some  distance 
below  the  Ambatthala.    See  GEIGER,  Ceylon,  p.  204. 

2  By  Samacitta-sutta  we  have  to  understand  Sutta  5-6  of  the 
Samacitta-vagga  in  the  Dukanipata  of  A.  I,  pp.  63-65.    The  subject  is 
spiritual  calm. 

8  See  note  to  19.  20. 

4  In  sumanoratha  a  play  on  the  words  ratha  'waggon'  and 
sarathi  'driver'  is  intended.  The  ratha  of  the  theras  is  sum  anas 
4  pious  feeling '. 


xiv.  58  The  Entry  into  the  Capital  95 

where  the  first  thupa  (afterwards  stood).     And  thenceforward  45 
to  this  day  the  cetiya  that  was  built  on  the  spot  where  the 
theras  first  alighted  *  is  called  the  Pathamacetiya.2 

Since  the  women  of  the  royal  household,  hearing  from  the  4(i 
king  of  the  virtues  of  the  theras,  desired  to  see   them,  the 
monarch  had  a  lovely  pavilion  built  for  them  within  the  royal  4  7 
precincts,  covered  with   white   stuffs  and  with  flowers   and 
beautifully  adorned. 

And  since  he  had  heard  from  the  thera  that  they  would  not  48 
sit  upon  raised  seats,  he  pondered  doubtfully  :  '  Will  the  thera 
indeed  sit  upon  a  raised  seat  ?  '     In  the  meantime  the  driver  49 
saw  the  theras  standing  there  3  putting  on  their  robes  and  in 
wonderment  he  came  and  told  the  king.     Hearing  all  (this)  it  50 
became  clear  to  the  king  that  they  would  not  sit  on  chairs. 
And  commanding :  '  Let  the  finest  carpets  be  spread  upon  the  5 1 
ground/  he  went  to  meet  the  theras,  greeted  them  reverently, 
took  the  almsbowl  from  the  great  thera  Mahinda's  hand  and  52 
led  the  thera  into   the  city,  as  is  the  custom  in  hospitable 
welcome  and  homage. 

And  the  soothsayers,  when  they  saw  the  seats  prepared,  53 
foretold  :   f  The  earth  is  occupied  by  these  (bhikkhus) ;    they 
will  be  lords  upon  the  island.'     Showing  them  honour  the  king  54 
led  the  theras  into  the  palace.     There,  according  to  their  rank, 
they  took  their  seat  on  chairs  covered  with  stuffs.     The  king  55 
himself  served  them  with  rice-soup  and  with  foods  hard  and 
soft.     And  when  the  meal  was  finished,  he  himself  sat  down 
at  their  feet  and  sent  for  Anula,  the  consort  of  his  younger  56 
brother,   the  sub-king   Mahanaga,   who  dwelt   in   the  royal 
palace.     When  the  queen  Anula  had  come  with  five  hundred  57 
women  and  had  bowed  down  and  made  offerings  to  the  theras, 
she  stepped  to  one  side.     The  thera  preached  the  Petavatthu,  58 

1  Cf.  the  same  construction  in  10.  10.     See  also  Mah.  ed.,  Introd., 
p.  liii. 

2  The  Pathamacetiya  '  the  First  cetiya'  has  not  been  found  in 
the  ruins  of  Anuradhapura.    It  stood,  no  doubt,  outside  the  eastern 
gate  of  the  city.     PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  275. 

3  Namely  at  the  spot  where  they  had  alighted  from  the  air,  and 
where  the  driver  only  arrived  after  them. 


96  Mahuvamsa  xiv.  59 

the  Vimanavatthu  l  and  the  Sacca-samyutta.2     The  women 
attained  to  the  first  stage  of  sanctification.3 

59  And  many  people  from  the  city,  hearing-  from  persons  who 
had  seen  them  the  day  before,  of  the  virtues  of  the  theras, 

60  came  together  desirous  to  see  the  theras  and  made  a  great  stir 
at  the  palace-gates.     When  the  king  heard  that  and  had  been 
told,  on  asking,  (why  it  was  so,)  he  said,  thoughtful  for  their 

61  welfare  :  '  Here  there  is  not  enough  space  for  all  these  men ; 
let  them  cleanse  the  hall  of  the  state-elephant,  there  shall 

62  the  townspeople   be  able  to  look   upon   the  theras.     When 
they    had   cleansed   the    elephant's    hall,   and    had   adorned 
it  speedily  with  canopies  and  so  forth,  they  prepared  seats 

63  there  (for  the  theras),  according  to  their  rank.     The  great 
thera  went  thither  with  the  (other)  theras  and  when  he  had 
taken  his  seat,  he,  the  eminent  preacher,  preached  the  Deva- 

64  duta-suttanta.4      When   the   townspeople,    who    were   come 
together,  heard  it,  they  were  filled  with  faith  and  a  thousand 
persons  among  them  attained  to  the  first  stage  of  salvation. 

65  When  thus  in  the  isle  of  Lanka  the  peerless  thera,  like 
unto  the  Master  in  the  protection  of  Lanka,  had  preached  the 
true  doctrine  in  two  places,  in  the  speech  of  the  island,  he, 
the  light  of  the  island,  thus  brought  to  pass  the  descent  of  the 
true  faith. 

Here  ends  the  fourteenth  chapter,  called  '  The  Entry  into 
the  Capital ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  The  Petavatthu  and  the  Vimanavatthu  are  books  of  the 
Khuddaka-nikaya  in  the  Sutta-pitaka.     The  former  contains  stories 
of  ghosts  that  dwell  in  the  ghost-world,  as  a  punishment  for  sins 
committed,  the  latter  contains  descriptions  of  the  marvellous  palaces 
that  serve  as  dwellings  for  happy  ghosts.  Both  texts  have  been  edited 
by  EDM.  HARDY,  P.T.S.  1889,  1886. 

2  See  S.  V,  pp.  414-478. 

3  I.  e.  the  sotapatti.    Cf.  note  to  1.  33. 

4  See  note  to  12.  29. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  ACCEPTANCE   OF  THE   MAHAVIHABA 

WHEN  they  saw  that  the  elephant's  hall  was  also  too  small,  1 
the  people  who  had  assembled  there,  full  of  pious  zeal,  prepared 
seats  for  the  theras  outside  the  southern  gate,  in  the  pleasant  2 
Nandana-garden l  in  the  royal  park,  thickly  shaded,  cool  and 
covered  with  verdure.     The  thera  went  forth  by  the  south  gate  3 
and  seated  himself  there.    Numbers  of  women  of  noble  families 
who  came  thither  sat  at  the  thera' s  feet  filling  the  garden.  4 
And  to  them  the  thera  preached  the  Balapandita-suttanta.2    A  5 
thousand  of  the  women  attained  to  the  first  stage  of  salvation. 
So,  there  in  the  grove,  evening  fell. 

Then  the  theras  set  forth  saying :  '  We  will  go  hence  to  6 
the  mountain.'     And  they  told  the  king,  and  the  king  came 
with  all  speed.     Approaching  the  thera  he  said  to  him  :  '  It  is  7 
evening-time,  and  the  mountain  is  far  away  ;  but  here  in  the 
Nandana-garden  is  a   pleasant   place  to  rest/     When  they  8 
answered  :  '  It  is  not  fitting  (for  us)  being  too  near  the  city/ 
(he   said)  :    '  The   Mahamegha-park   is   neither  too   far   nor 
too  near ;  pleasant  (is  it),  and  water  and  shade  abound  there  ;  9 
may  it  please  you  to  rest  there  !     Thou  must  turn  back,  lord  ! ' 
Then  the  thera  turned  back. 

The  cetiya  (afterwards)  built  on  the  spot  where  he  turned  1 0 
back,  near  the  Kadamba-river,  is  called  therefore  Nivatta- 
cetiya.3 

Southwards  from  Nandana  the  lord  of  chariots  himself  led  1 1 
the  thera  to  the  Mahamegha-park,  at  the  east  gate.     When  12 

1  See  note  to  11.2. 

2  I.  e. '  the  discourse  of  the  fool  and  the  wise  man.'    Probably  the 
suttanta  S.  II,  pp.  23-25,  or  perhaps  A.  I,  101-105. 

3  I.e.  the  turning-back  cetiya.     The  thupa  was  probably  not  far 
from  the  Pathamacetiya.     See  note  to  14.  45. 

H 


98  Mahavamsa  XV.  13 

the  king  had  bidden  them  prepare  fine  beds  and  chairs  in 
fitting  wise,  in  the  pleasant  royal  dwelling,  and  had  taken 

13  leave   of   the   theras,  saying:    '  Dwell  here  in  comfort/   he 
returned  to  the  city,  surrounded  by  his  ministers ;    but  the 
theras  sojourned  there  that  night. 

14  As  soon  as  the  morning  came,  the  ruler  of  the  land  took 
flowers  and  visited  the  theras,  greeting  them  and  offering 

1 5  flowers  in  homage,  and  he  asked  them :    '  Was  (your)   rest 
pleasant  ?     Is  the  garden  fitting  (for  you)  ? ' 

'  Pleasant  was  our  rest,  O  great  king,  and  the  garden  is 
fitting  for  ascetics.' 

1 6  And  he  asked  (moreover) :    { Is  an  arama  allowed  to  the 
brotherhood,  sir  ? '     '  It  is  allowed/  replied  the  thera,  who  had 
knowledge  of  that  which  is  allowed  and  that  which  is  not 

17  allowed.     And  he  related  the  accepting  of  the  Veluvanarama.1 
When  the  other  heard  it,  he  rejoiced  greatly  and  (all)  the 
people  were  pleased  and  joyful. 

1 8  But  the  queen  Anula,  who  had  come  with  five  hundred  women 
to  greet  the  theras,  attained  to  the  second  stage  of  salvation.2 

19  And  the  queen  Anula  with  her  five  hundred  women  said  to 
the  king :   '  We  would  fain  receive  the  pabbajja-ordination, 

20  your  Majesty/     The  king  said  to  the  thera,  '  Bestow  ye  on 
them  the  pabbajja ! '     But  the  thera  made   answer  to  the 
king  :  (It  is  not  allowed  (to  us),  O  great  king,  to  bestow  the 

21  pabbajja  on  women.     But  in  Pataliputta  there  lives  a  nun, 
my  younger  sister,  known  by  the  name  Samghamitta.     She, 

22  who  is  ripe  in  experience,  shall  come  hither  bringing  with  her 
the  southern  branch  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree  of  the  king  of 
samanas,   O   king   of  men,  and    (bringing)  also  bhikkhums 

23  renowned  (for  holiness) ;  to  this  end  send  a  message  to  the 
king  my  father.     When  this  then  is  here  she  will  confer  the 
pabbajja  upon  these  women/ 

1  The  Veluvana  'Bamboo-grove'  near  Rajagaha  was  a  present 
of  the  Magadha-king  Bimbisara  to  the  Buddha.     M.V.  I.  22.  17-18 
(=  Vin.  Pit.  i,  p.  39,  S.B.E.  xiii,  p.  143) ;  Jat.  i,  p.  85,  1  foil. 

2  I.e.   the  sakadagamiphala.      A   sakadagami  is  one  who 
will  only  once  be  reborn  in  the  world  of  men  before  attaining  to 
nibbana. 


xv.  34          TJie  Acceptance  of  the  MaJiavihdra  99 

1  It  is  well/  said  the  king1,  and  taking  a  splendid  vase  he  24 
poured  water  (in  token)  of  giving1,  over  the  hand  of  the  thera 
Mahinda  with  the  words :  '  This  Mahamegha-park  do  I  give  25 
to  the  brotherhood.' 

As  the  water  fell  on  the  ground,  the  great  earth  quaked. 
And  the  protector  of  the  earth  asked  the  (thera) :  '  Wherefore  26 
does   the   earth   quake  ? '     And   he   replied :    '  Because   the 
doctrine  is  (from  henceforth)  founded  in  the  island/ 

The  noble  (king)1  offered  jasmine-blossoms  to  the  thera,  27 
and  the  thera  went  to  the  royal  dwelling  and  scattered  eight 
handfuls  of  blossoms  about  the  picula-tree  2  standing3  on  the  28 
south  side  of  it.     And  then  again  the  earth  "quaked  and  when 
he  was  questioned  he  gave  this  reason :  l  Already  in  the  life-  29 
time  of  three  Buddhas  there  has  been  here  a  malaka4  for 
carrying  out  the  duties  of  the  brotherhood,  O  king,  and  now 
will  it  be  so  once  more/ 

Northward  he  went  from  the  royal  dwelling  to  the  beautiful  30 
bathing-tank,  and  there   also  the   thera   scattered  as   many 
blossoms.     And  then  again  did  the  earth  quake,  and  being  31 
asked  (the  thera)  gave  this  reason  :  f  This,  O  ruler  of  the  earth, 
will  be  the  tank  with  the  room  for  warm  baths.'  5 

Then  the  wise  (thera)  went  to  the  gateway  of  the  same  32 
king's  dwelling  and  did  homage  to  the  spot  with  (the  offering 
of)  as  many  flowers.     And  here  again  the  earth  quaked;  and  33 
quivering  with  joy  the  king  asked  the  reason,  and  the  thera 
told  him  the  reason:  '  Here  the  south  branch  of  the  Bodhi-  34 

1  A  play  on  the  words  jatimant  'of  high  birth'  (jati),  and  jati 
1  the  great  flowered  jasmine  '. 

2  Tamarix  Indica. 

9  I  would  prefer  the  reading  thite  agreeing  with  picule  instead 
of  thito.  Certainly  B2  is  the  only  one  in  the  collated  MSS.  that 
has  this  reading,  but  it  is  supported  by  the  Tlka. 

4  Malaka  is  a  space  marked  off  and  usually  terraced,  within  which 
sacred  functions  were  carried  out.  In  the  Mahavihara  (Tissarama) 
at  Anuradhapura  there  were  32  malakas.  Dip.  14.  78;  Mah.  15.  192. 
The  sacred  Bodhi-tree  for  instance  was  surrounded  by  a  malaka. 

6  On  the  jantaghara  ('a  bathing-place  for  hot  sitting-baths', 
S.B.E.  xiii,  p.  157,  n.  2)  see  M.V.  I.  25.  12-13;  C.V.  V.  14.  3  foil.; 
VIII.  8.  1  foil. 

H  2 


100  Mahdvamsa  xv«  35 

tree  of  the  three  Buddhas1  of  our  age  was  planted,  when 

35  they  had  brought  it  hither,  O  king,  and  the  south  branch  of 
the  Bodhi-tree  of  our  Tathagata  will  likewise  have  its  place  on 
this  same  spot,  lord  of  the  earth.' 

36  Then  the  great  thera  went  to  the  Mahamucalamalaka  and 

37  scattered  on  that  spot  as  many  flowers.     And  then  again  the 
earth  quaked,  and  being  questioned  he  told  (the  king)  the 
reason:  'The  uposatha-hall  of  the  brotherhood  will  be  here, 
O  lord  of  the  earth/ 

38  Afterwards  the  wise  thera  went  to  the  place  of  the  Panham- 
bamalaka. 

A  ripe  mango- tree,  excellent  in  colour,  fragrance  and  taste 

39  and  of  large  size,  did  the  gardener  offer  to  the  king,  and  the 

40  king  offered  the  splendid  (fruit)  to  the   thera.     The  thera, 
bringer  of  good  to  mankind,  let  the  king  know  that  he  would 
fain  rest  seated  and  forthwith  the  king  had  a  fine  carpet 

41  spread.     When  the  thera  was  seated  the  king  gave  him  the 
mango-fruit.    When  the  thera  had  eaten  it  he  gave  the  kernel 

42  to  the  king  to  plant.     The  king  himself  planted  it  there  and 

43  over  it,  that  it  might  grow,  the  thera  washed  his  hands.     In 
that  same  moment  a  shoot  sprouted  forth  from  the  kernel  and 
grew  little  by  little  to  a  tall  tree  bearing  leaves  and  fruit. 

44  When  those  who  were  present  with  the  king  beheld  this 
miracle,  they  stood  there  doing  homage  to  the  thera,  their  hair 
raising  on  end  (with  amazement). 

45  Now  the  thera  scattered  there  eight  handfuls  of  flowers  and 
then  again  the  earth  quaked.     And  being  asked  he  gave  the 

46  reason  :  '  This  place  will  be  the  place  where  many  gifts  shall 
be  distributed,  which  shall  be  given  to  the  brotherhood,  (the 
bhikkhus)  being  assembled  together,  O  ruler  of  men/ 

47  And  he  went  up  to  the  place  where  (afterwards)  the  Catus- 
sala 2  was,  and  there  he  scattered  as  many  flowers,  and  then 

1  The  three  Buddhas  who  preceded  the  historical  Buddha  in  the 
present  age  of  the  world  (kappa,  lasting  many  millions  of  years), 
are  named  Kakusandha,  Konagamana  and  Kassapa.    According  to 
the  legend   they  all,   like  Gotama,  visited  Ceylon  and  the  events 
always  followed  the  same  course.   GEIGER,  Dlpavamsa  and  Mahavamsa, 
p.  8  foil.,  and  Hah.  15.  57  foil. 

2  I.  e.  a  quadrangular  hall  which  served  as  a  refectory  for  the  monks. 


xv.  60         The  Acceptance  of  the  MahaviJifiva          l:0'i 

again  did  the  earth  quake.     And  when  the  king  asked  the  48 
reason  of  the  earthquake  the  thera  made  answer :  '  On  the 
occasion  of  the  receipt  of  a  royal  park  by  the  three  former  49 
Buddhas,1  on  this  spot  the  gifts  brought  from  all  parts  by 
the  dwellers  in  the  island  being  laid  down,  the  three  Blessed 
Ones  and  their  communities  accepted  them.     And  now  again  50 
the  Catussala  will  stand  here  and  here  will  be  the  refectory  of 
the  brotherhood,  O  lord  of  men/ 

From  thence  the  great  thera  Mahinda,  the  friend  2  of  the  5 1 
island,  knowing  what  was  a  fitting  place,  and  what  unfitting, 
went  to  the  spot  where  the  Great  thupa  3  (afterwards)  stood. 

At  that  time  there  was  within  the  enclosure  of  the  royal  52 
park  a  little  pond  called  the  Kakudha-pond ;  at  its  upper  end, 
on  the  brink  of  the  water,  was  a  level  spot  fitting  for  the  53 
thupa. 

When  the  thera  went  thither  they  brought  the  king  eight 
baskets  of  cam  paka- flowers.4     The  king  offered  the  campaka-  54 
flowers  to  the  thera  and  the  thera  did  homage  to  the  spot  with 
the  campaka-flowers.     And  then  again  the  earth  quaked,  the  55 
king  asked  the  reason  of  the  earthquake  and  the  thera  gave 
in  due  order  the  reasons  for  the  earthquake. 

(  This  place,  O  great  king,  which  has  been  visited  by  four  56 
Buddhas  is  worthy  of  a  thupa,  to  be  a  blessing  and  happiness 
to  beings. 

' In  our  age  of  the  world  there  lived  first5  the  Conqueror  57 
Kakusandha,  a  teacher   versed   in   all   truth,   compassionate 
toward  all  the  world.     At  that  time  this  Mahamegha-grove  58 
was  known  as  Mahatittha ;  the  capital  called  Abhaya  lay  east- 
ward on  the  other  side  of  the  Kadamba-river,6  there  Abhaya  59 
was  king.     This  island  then  bore  the  name  Ojadlpa. 

'  By  (the  power  of)  the  demons  pestilence  arose  here  among  60 

1  See  note  to  15.  34. 

2  Dlpavaddhana,  lit.  furtherer,  increaser  of  the  island. 

3  I.  e.  the  Ruwanwseli-dagaba  =  pali  Hemamali,  see  15.  167. 

4  Michelia  Champaka,  Lin.,  belonging  to  the  Magnoliaceae. 
6  Cf.  15.  91  foil.,  and  125  foil. 

6  I  now  prefer  to  refer  Kadambanadiya  pare  to  the  preceding 
phrase,  therefore  Mah.  ed.  the  comma  after  ahu  (58  d.)  should  be 
deleted  and  placed  after  pare  (59  a). 


Maliavamsa  xv.  61 

the  people.    When  Kakusandha,  who  was  gifted  with  the  ten 
G 1  powers,1  knew  of  this  misery,  then,  to  bring-  it  to  an  end  and 
to  achieve  the  converting  of  beings  and  progress  of  the  doc- 
trine in  this  island,  he,  urged  on  by  the  might  of  his  compas- 

62  sion,  came  through  the   air  surrounded    by  forty  thousand 

63  (disciples)  like  to  him,2  and  stood  on  the  Devakuta-mountain. 
By  the  power  of  the  Satnbuddha,  O  great  king,  the  pestilence 
ceased  then  here  over  the  whole  island. 

64  '  Standing  there,  O  king  of  men,  the  King  of  the  Wise,  the 
Great  Sage,  proclaimed  his  will :  "  All  men  in  Ojadlpa  shall 

65  see  me  this  day,  and  if  they  only  desire  to  come  (to  me)  all 
men  shall  draw  near  to  me  without  trouble  and  speedily/'' 

66  f  When  the  king  and  the  townsfolk  saw  the  Prince  of  the 
Wise,  shining  and  making  the  mountain  to  shine,  they  came 
swiftly  thither. 

07  '  The  people,  who  were  going  thither  to  bring  offerings  to  the 
devatas,  believed  the  Guide  of  the  World  with  the  brotherhood 

68  to  be  (such)  devatas.  And  when  the  king,  greatly  rejoicing 
had  greeted  the  King  of  the  Wise,  had  invited  him  to  a  repast 

09  and  had  brought  him  into  the  city,  the  monarch  then  thinking : 
"  This  stately  and  pleasant  place  is  fitting  for  the  resting-place 
of  the  Prince  of  the  Wise,  with  the  brotherhood,  and  not  too 

70  small/'  made  the  Sambuddha  and  the  brotherhood  sit  here  on 
beautiful  seats  in  a  fine  pavilion  raised  (by  him). 

71  'When  the  people  in  the  island  saw  the  Guide  of  the  world 
with  the  brotherhood  sitting  here  they  brought  gifts  hither 

72  from  every  side.    And  the  king  served  the  Guide  of  the  World 
together  with  the  brotherhood  with  his  own  food,  both  hard 
and  soft,  and  with  such  (foods)  as  were  brought  by  sundry 
other  folk. 

73  <  While  the  Conqueror  was  seated,  after  the  meal,  on  this  very 
spot,3   the  king  offered  him  the  Mahatitthaka-garden  as  a 

74  precious    gift.      When    the    Mahatitthaka-grove,   gay   with 

1  See  note  to  3.  6. 

2  Tadi,  i.e.  like  him,  blessed  like  (the  Buddha)  himself;  by  ex- 
tension, a  synonym  of  araha.    Cf.  Therag.  62,  205,  206;  Suttanip. 
86,  957,  &c. 

3  Idheva,  that  is,  '  here,  just  where  we  now  are.' 


XV.  87          The  Acceptance  of  tine  Maliavihara         103 

blossoms  at  an  unwonted  season,  was  accepted  by  the  Buddha 
the  great  earth  quaked.     And  sitting  even  here,  the  Master  75 
preached  the  doctrine ;  forty  thousand  persons  attained  to  the 
fruit  of  the  path  (of  salvation). 

'  When  the  Conqueror  had  stayed  the  day  through  in  the  76 
Mahatittha-grove  he  went  in  the  evening  to  that  plot  of  ground 
which  was  fitting  f o  r  the  place  of  the  Bodhi-tree,  and  after  he,  sit-  7  7 
ting  there,  had  sunk  in  deep  meditation  the  Sambuddha,  rising 
from  thence  again,  thought,  mindful  of  the  salvation  of  the 
island-people  :  "  Bringing  the  south  branch  of  my  Bodhi-tree,  78 
the  sirlsa,1  with  her,  the  bhikkhunl  Rucananda  shall  come 
hither  with  (other)  bhikkhunls." 

'  When  the  then  knew  his  thought2  she  forthwith  took  the  79 
king  of  that  country3  with  her  and  went  to  the  tree.     Then  80 
when  the  then  of  wondrous  power  had  drawn  a  line  with  a 
pencil  of  red  arsenic  around  the  south  branch  she  took  the 
Bodhi-tree  thus  separated  and  set  it  in  a  golden  vase,  and  this,  8 1 
by  her  miraculous  power  she  brought  hither,  O  great  king, 
with  (company  of  her)  live  hundred  bhikkhunis,  surrounded  by 
the  devatas,  and  she  placed  it,  with  its  golden  vase,  in  the  out-  82 
stretched    right   hand  of   the   Sambuddha.     The  Tathagata 
received  the  Bodhi-branch  and  gave  it  to  the  king  Abhaya  to  83 
plant;    the  lord  of  the  earth  planted  it  in  the  Mahatittha- 
garden. 

'  Then  the  Sambuddha  went  northwards  from  this  place,  and  84 
sitting  in  the  beautiful  Sirlsamalaka  the  Tathagata  preached  85 
the  true  doctrine  to  the  people.    Then,  O  prince,  the  conversion 
of  twenty  thousand  living  beings  took  place.4     Thereupon  the  86 
Conqueror  went  yet  further  north  to  that  plot  of  ground  where 
(afterwards)  the  Thuparama5  stood,  and  after  he,  sitting  there, 
had  sunk  into  meditation,  the  Sambuddha  rising  from  thence  87 
again  preached  the  doctrine  to  those  around  him,  and  even  at 
that  place  did  ten  thousand  living  beings  attain  to  the  fruit  of 
the  path  (of  salvation). 

1  Acacia  Sirissa.  2  By  means  of  her  omniscience. 

3  According  to  the  Tika  king  Khema  of  Khemavati  (in  Jambudipa). 
See  Buddhavamsa  (ed.  MORRIS,  P.T.S.  1882)  XXIII.  8. 

4  See  note  to  1.  32.  5  See  below,  note  to  17.  30. 


104  Mahavamsa  XV.  88 

88  ( Giving  his  own  holy  drinking- vessel  for  the  homage  of  the 
people  and  leaving  the  bhikkhuni  here  with  her  following  and 

89  also  his  disciple  Mahadeva  with  a  thousand  bhikkhus,  the 

90  Sambuddha  went  eastward  from  thence,  and  standing  on  the 
place  of  the  Ratanamala,  he  delivered  exhortations  to  the  people ; 
then  rising  in  the  air  with  the  brotherhood  the  Conqueror 
returned  to  Jambudlpa. 

9 1  t  Second l  in  our  age  of  the  world  was  the  Lord  Konagamana, 
the  all-knowing  Teacher,  compassionate  toward  all  the  world. 

92  <  At  that  time  this  Mahamegha-grove  was  known  as  Maha- 
noma,   the   capital   called   Vaddhamana,  lay   to   the   south. 

93  Samiddha  was  the  name  of  the  king  of  that  region  then.     This 
island  then  bore  the  name  Varadipa. 

94  f  At  that  time  the  misery  of  drought  prevailed  here  in  Vara- 
dipa.   When  the  Conqueror  Konagamana  knew  of  this  misery, 

95  then,  to  bring  it  to  an  end,  and  afterwards  to  achieve  the  con- 
verting of  beings  and  progress  of  the  doctrine  in  this  island, 

96  he,  urged  on  by  the  might  of  his  compassion,  came  through 
the  air,  surrounded  by  thirty  thousand  (disciples)  like  to  him- 

97  self,  and  stood  upon  the  Sumanakutaka-mountain.     By  the 
power  of  the  Sambuddha  the  drought  came  to  an  end,  and 
from  the  time  that  the  decline  of  the  doctrine  ceased  rainfall 
in  due  season  now  began. 

98  '  And  standing  there,  O  king  of  men,  the  King  of  the  Wise, 
the  Great  Sage,  proclaimed  his  will :    "  All  men  in  Varadipa 

99  shall  see  me  this  day,  and  if  they  only  desire  to  come  (to  me) 
all  men  shall  draw  near  to  me  without  trouble  and  speedily/' 

100  ( When  the  king  and  the  townsfolk  saw  the  Prince  of  the 
Wise,  shining  and  making  the  mountain  to  shine,  they  came 
swiftly  thither. 

101  'The  people  who  were  going  thither  to  bring  offerings  to 
the    devatas    believed    the   Guide   of  the    World  with   the 

102  brotherhood   to  be   (such)   devatas.      And  when  the   king, 
greatly  rejoicing,  had  greeted  the  King  of  the  Wise,  had 

103  invited  him  to  a  repast,  and  had  brought  him  to  the  city,  the 
monarch  then  thinking  :  "  This  stately  and  pleasant  place  is 

1  Cf.  15.  57  foil.,  and  15.  125  foil. 


xv.  117         Tlie  Acceptance  of  the  Mahavihara         105 

fitting  for  the  resting-place  of  the  Prince  of  the  Wise  with 
the  brotherhood  and  not  too  small,"  made  the  Sambuddha  and  104 
the  brotherhood  sit  here  on  beautiful  seats  in  a  fine  pavilion 
raised  (by  him). 

'When  the  people  of  the  island  saw  the  Guide  of  the  World  105 
with  the  brotherhood  sitting  here,  they  brought  gifts  hither 
from   every   side.     And  the  king    served  the    Guide  of  the  106 
World  together  with  the  brotherhood  with  his  own  food,  both 
hard  and  soft,  and  with  such  (foods)  as  were  brought   by 
sundry  other  folk. 

'While  the  Conqueror  was  sitting,  after  the  meal  on  this  107 
very   spot,  the  king  offered  him   the  Mahanoma-garden  as 
a  precious  gift.     And  when  the  Mahanoma-grove,  gay  with  108 
blossoms  at  an  unwonted  season,  was  accepted  by  the  Buddha 
the  great  earth  quaked.     And  sitting  even  here,  the  Master  109 
preached  the  doctrine ;    then  thirty  thousand  persons  attained 
to  the  fruit  of  the  path  (of  salvation). 

'When  the  Conqueror  had  stayed  the  day  through  in  the  110 
Mahanoma-grove,  he  went  in  the  evening  to  that  plot  of 
ground   where  the  former  Bodhi-tree  had  stood,  and  after  111 
he,  sitting  there,  had  sunk  in  deep  meditation,  the  Sambuddha, 
rising  from  thence  again,  thought,  mindful  of  the  salvation  of 
the  island-people :  "  Bringing  the  south  branch  of  my  Bodhi-  112 
tree,  the  udumbara1  with  her,  the  bhikkhuni  Kantakananda 
shall  come  hither  with  (other)  bhikkhums." 

( When  the  then  knew  his  thought  she  forthwith  took  the  113 
king  of  that  region  2  with  her  and  went  to  the  tree.     Then  114 
when  the  then  of  wondrous  power  had  drawn  a  line  with 
a  pencil  of  red  arsenic  around  the  south  branch,  she  took  the 
Bodhi-tree  thus  separated,  and  set  it  in  a  golden  vase,  and  115 
this,  by  her  miraculous  power,  she  brought  hither,  O  great 
king,   with    (her    company    of)    five    hundred    bhikkhums, 
surrounded  by  the  devatas,  and  she  placed  it,  with  its  golden  116 
vase,  in  the  outstretched  right  hand  of  the  Sambuddha.     The 
Tathagata  received  it  and  gave  it  to  the  king  Samiddha  to  1 1 7 

1  Ficus  glomerata. 

2  According  to  the  Tika  king  Sobhana  (Buddhavamsa  XXIV.  16 : 
Sobha)  in  the  city  Sobhavatl. 


106  Mahavamsa  xv.  118 

plant ;  the  lord  of  the  earth  planted  it  there  in  the  Mahanoma 
garden. 

118  '  Then  the  Sambuddha  went  northward  from  the  Sirisamala 
and  preached  the  doctrine  to  the  people,  sitting  in  the  Naga- 

119  malaka.     When  they  heard  the  preaching  of  the  doctrine,  O 
king,  the  conversion  of  twenty  thousand  living  beings  took 

120  place.    When  he  had  gone  yet  further  northward  to  the  place 
where  the  former  Buddha  had  sat,  and  after  he,  sitting  there, 

121  had  sunk  into  meditation,  the  Sambuddha,  rising  from  thence 
again,  preached  the  doctrine  to  those  around  him,  and  even  at 
that  place  did  ten  thousand  living  beings  attain  to  the  fruit 
of  the  path  (of  salvation). 

122  '  Giving  his  girdle  as  a  relic  for  the  homage  of  the  people, 

123  and  leaving  the  bhikkhum  here  with  her  following  and  also 
his  disciple  Mahasumba  with  a  thousand  bhikkhus,  the  Sam- 

124  buddha,   standing   on  this  side  of   the   Ratanamala   in   the 
Sudassanamala,  delivered  exhortations  to  the  people;   then 
rising   with   the   brotherhood   into   the   air,   the   Conqueror 
returned  to  Jambudipa. 

125  *  Third  l  in  our  age  of  the  world  was  the  Conqueror  of  the 
Kassapa  clan,  the  all-knowing  Teacher,  compassionate  toward 
the  whole  world. 

126  'The  Mahamegha-grove  was  called  (at  that  time)  Mahasa- 

127  gara;  the  capital,  named  Visala,  lay  toward  the  West.    Jayanta 
was  the  name  of  the  king  of  that  region  then,  and  this  isle 
bore  then  the  name  of  Mandadipa. 

128  '  At  that  time  a  hideous  and  life-destroying  war  had  broken 

129  out  between  king  Jayanta  and  his  younger  royal  brother.  When 
Kassapa,  gifted  with  the  ten  powers,2  the  Sage,  full  of  com- 
passion, knew    how  great    was  the  wretchedness  caused  to 

130  beings  by  this  war,  then,  to  bring  it  to  an  end  and  afterwards 
to  achieve  the  converting  of  beings  and  progress  of  the  doctrine 

131  in  this  island,  he,  urged  on  by  the  might  of  his  compassion, 
came  through  the  air  surrounded  by  twenty  thousand  (disciples) 
like  to  himself,  and  he  stood  on  the  Subhakuta-mountain. 

132  '  Standing  there,  O  king  of  men,  the  King  of  the  Wise,  the 
Great  Sage,  proclaimed  his  will:    "All  men  in  MandadTpa 

1  Cf.  15.  57  foil.,  and  91  foil.  3  See  note  to  3.  6. 


xv.  147         The  Acceptance  of  the  MaMvihara         107 

shall  see  me  this  day;  and  if  they  only  desire  to  come  (to  me)  133 
all  men  shall  draw  near  to  me  without  trouble  and  speedily." 

'When  the  king-  and  the  townsfolk  saw  the  Prince  of  the  134 
Wise,  shining  and  making  the  mountain  to  shine,  they  came 
swiftly  thither.     The  many  people  who  were  coming  to  the  135 
mountain  bringing  offerings  to  the  devatas,  that  their  own 
side  might  win  the  victory,  believed  the  Guide  of  the  World  136 
with  the  brotherhood  to  be  (such)  devatas ;  and  the  king  and 
the  prince  amazed,  halted  in  their  battle.     When  the  king,  137 
greatly  rejoicing,  had  greeted  the   King  of  the  Wise,  had 
invited  him  to  a  repast  and  had  brought  him  to  the  city,  the 
monarch  then  thinking:  l(  This  stately  and  pleasant  place  is  138 
fitting  for  the  resting-place  of  the  King  of  the  Wise  with  the 
brotherhood  and  not  too  small,"  made  the  Sambuddha  and  139 
the  brotherhood  sit  here  on  beautiful  seats  in  a  fine  pavilion 
raised  (by  him). 

'  When  the  people  of  the  island  saw  the  Guide  of  the  World  140 
with  the  brotherhood  sitting  here,  they  brought  gifts  hither 
from  every   side.     And  the  king  served   the  Guide  of  the  141 
World  together  with  the  brotherhood  with  his  own  food,  both 
hard  and  soft,  and  with  such  (foods)  as  were  brought  by  sundry 
other  folk. 

'  While  the  Conqueror  was  sitting,  after  the  meal,  on  this  142 
very  spot,  the  king  offered  him  the   Mahasagara-garden  as 
a  precious  gift.     And  when  the  Mahasagara-grove,  gay  with  143 
blossoms  at  an  unwonted  season,  was  accepted  by  the  Buddha, 
the  great  earth  quaked.     And  sitting  even  here,  the  Master  144 
preached  the  doctrine ;  then  twenty  thousand  persons  attained 
to  the  fruit  of  the  path  (of  salvation). 

'  When  the  Blessed  One  had  stayed  the  day  through  in  the  145 
Mahasagara-grove,  he  went  in  the  evening  to  that  plot  of 
ground  where  the  former  Bodhi-trees  had  stood,  and  after  he,  146 
sitting  there,  had  sunk  into  deep  meditation,  the  Sambuddha, 
rising  from  thence  again,  thought,  mindful  of  the  salvation  of 
the  island-people  ;  "  Bringing  the  south  branch  of  my  Bodhi-  147 
tree,  the  nigrodha,1  with  her,  the  bhikkhum  Sudhamma  shall 
come  now  with  (other)  bhikkhums." 

1  Ficus  Indica,  the  banyan-tree. 


108  MaMvamsa  XV.  148 

148  'When  the  then  knew  his  thought  she  forthwith  took  the 

149  king1  of  that  region  with  her  and  went  to  the  tree.     Then 
when  the  therl  of  wondrous  power  had  drawn  a  line  with 
a  pencil  of  red  arsenic  around  the  south  branch,  she  took  the 

150  Bodhi-branch  thus  separated  and  set  it  in  a  golden  vase,  and 
this,  by  her  miraculous  power,  she  brought  hither,  O  great  king, 
with  (her  company  of)  five  hundred  bhikkhums,  surrounded  by 

151  the  devatas ;    and  she  placed  it  with  its  golden  vase,  in  the 
out-stretched  right  hand  of  the  Sambuddha ;  the  Tathagata 

152  received  it  and  gave  it  to  the  king  Jayanta  to  plant;    the 
lord  of  the  earth  planted  it  there  in  the  Mahasagara-garden. 

153  '  Then  the  Buddha  went  northward  from  the  Nagamalaka 
and  preached  the  doctrine  to  the  people  seated  in  the  Asoka- 

154  malaka.     When  they  heard  the  preaching  of  the  doctrine, 
O  ruler  of  men,  even  there  the  conversion  of  four  thousand 

155  living  beings  took  place.    When  he  had  then  gone  yet  further 
northward  to  the  place  where  the  former  Buddhas  had  sat, 
and  after  he,  sitting  there,  had  sunk  into  meditation,  the 

156  Sambuddha,  rising  from  thence  again,  preached  the  doctrine 
to  those  around  him ;  and  even  in  that  place  did  ten  thousand 
living  beings  attain  to  the  fruit  of  the  path  (of  salvation). 

157  '  Giving  his  rain-cloak  as  a  relic  for  the  homage  of  the  people, 

158  and  leaving  the  bhikkhuni  here  with  her  following,  and  also 
his  disciple  Sabbananda  with  a  thousand  bhikkhus,  he,  stand- 

159  ing  on  this  side  of  the  river  (and)  of  the  Sudassanamala  in 
the  Somanassamalaka,  delivered  exhortations  to  the  people; 
then  rising  with  the  brotherhood  into  the  air,  the  Conqueror 
returned  to  Jambudlpa. 

160  '  Fourth    in   our  age   of   the  world  lived  the  Conqueror 
Gotama,  the  teacher,  knowing  the  whole  truth,  compassionate 

161  toward  the  whole  world.    When  he  came  hither  the  first  time 
he  drove  forth  the  yakkhas,  when  he  came  hither  again  the 

162  second  time  he  subdued  the  nagas.     When,  besought  by  the 
naga  Maniakkhi  in  Kalyam,  he  returned  the  third  time,  he  took 

163  his  meal  there  with  the  brotherhood ;  and  when  he  had  taken 

1  According  to  the  Tlka  king  Kiki  in  the  city  of  Baranasi  (Benares). 
SeeBuddhavamsaXXV.33 ;  Therigatha,Comm.(Paramatthadipani  V), 
p.  1727,  &c. 


xv.  173         Hie  Acceptance  of  the  Mahavihara         109 

his  ease  l  in  the  place  where  the  former  Bodhi-trees  had  stood 
and  in  the  place  here  appointed  for  the  thupa  and  (also)  in 
the  place  (appointed  for  the  guarding)  of  those  (things)  used 
by  him  (and  left  as)  relics,2  and  when  he  had  gone  to  this  164 
side  of  the  place  where  the  former  Buddhas  had  stood,  the 
great  Sage,  the  Light  of  the  World,  since  there  were  then  no 
human  beings  in  Lahkadipa,  uttered  exhortations  to  the  host  165 
of  devatas,  dwelling  in  the  island,  and  to  the  nagas  ;  then  rising 
into  the  air  with  the  brotherhood  the  Conqueror  returned  to 
Jambudlpa. 

'  Thus  was  this  place,  O  king,  visited  by  four  Buddhas ;  on  166 
this  spot,  O  great  king,  will  the  thupa  stand  hereafter,  with  167 
the  relic-chamber  for  a  dona 3  of  the  relics  of  the  Buddha's 
body;  (it  will  be)  a  hundred  and  twenty  cubits4  high  and 
(will  be)  known  by  the  name  Hemamall.' 

Then  said  the  ruler  of  the  earth:  '  I  myself  will  build  it.'  168 
Tor  thee,  O  king,  are  many  other  tasks  to  fulfil  here.     Do  169 
thou   carry  them   out;    but  one  descended  from  thee  shall 
build  this   (thupa).     A  son  of  thy  brother6  the  vice-regent 
Mahanama,  one  named  Yatthalayakatissa,  will  hereafter  be  170 
king,  his  son  will  be  the  king  named  Gothabhaya;  his  son  171 
will  be  (the  king)  named  Kakavannatissa ;  this  king's  son, 
O  king,  will  be  the  great  king  named  Abhaya,  renowned  under  172 
the  title  Dutthagamani :  he,  great  in  glory,  wondrous  power 
and  prowess,  will  build  the  thupa  here.' 

Thus  spoke  the  thera,  and  because  of  the  thera's  words  the  173 

1  Lit.  '  when  he  had  enjoyed  by  sitting  down  (in  meditation)  the 
place,  &c.' 

2  Cf.  15,  88.  122,  157.     Paribhogadhatu  is  a  relic  consisting  of 
something  used  by  the  dead  Saint,  in  opposition  to  sariradhatu 
'  body-relic  ',  i.  e.  remains  of  his  body. 

3  A  certain  measure  of  capacity.     See  CHILDEKS,  P.D.,  s.  v. 

4  According  to  the  Abhidhanappadipika  a  ratana  or  hattha  is 
equal  to  2  vidatthi  (=8|-9  inches).     See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Ancient 
Coins  and  Measures  of  Ceylon,  p.  15.     The  total  height  of  the  thupa 
would  accordingly  be  nearly  180  feet.     This  is  exactly  the  height  of 
the  main  body  of  the  Ruwanwseli-dagaba  without  the  '  tee  '.    SMITHER, 
Architectural  Remains,  Anuradhapura,  p.  27  and  Plate  XXIV. 

6  Cf.  22.  1  foil. 


110  MaMvamsa  XV.  174 

monarch  set  up  here  a  pillar  of  stone,  whereon  he  inscribed 
these  saying's. 

174  And  as  the  great  and  most  wise  thera,  Mahinda  of  wondrous 
power,  accepted  the  pleasant  Mahamegha-grove,  the  Tissarama, 

175  he,  the  unshakeable  caused  the  earth  to  quake  in  eight  places;1 
and  when  going  his  round  for  alms  he  had  entered  the  city 

176  like  unto  the  ocean  and  had  taken  his  meal  in  the  king's 
house,   he  left  the   palace,   and  when,   sitting  there  in  the 
Nandana-grove,  he  had   preached   to   the  people   the  sutta 

177  Aggikkhandhopama  2  and  had  made  a  thousand  persons  par- 
takers in  the  fruit  of  the  path  (of  sanctification)  he  rested 
(again)  in  the  Mahamegha-grove. 

178  When  the  thera  had  eaten  on  the  third  day  in  the  king's 
house,  and  sitting  in  the  Nandana-grove  had  preached  the 

179  Aslvisupama,3  and  had  thereby  led  a  thousand  persons  to 
conversion,  the  thera  went  thence  to  the  Tissarama. 

180  But  the  king,  who  had  heard  the  preaching,  seated  himself 
at  the  thera' s  feet  and  asked:    'Does  the   doctrine  of   the 
Conqueror  stand,  sir?'     "Not  yet,   O  ruler  of  men,   only, 

181  O  lord  of  nations,  when  the  boundaries  are  established4  here 
for  the  uposatha-ceremony  and  the  other  acts  (of  religion), 
according    to    the    command    of    the    Conqueror,   shall    the 
doctrine  stand.' 

182  Thus  spoke  the  great  thera,  and  the  king  answered  thus: 
'I  will  abide  under  the  Buddha's  command,  thou  Giver  of 

183  light!     Therefore   establish  the   boundaries  with   all   speed, 
taking  in  the  city/     Thus  spoke  the  great  king  and  the  thera 

184  answered  thus  :  '  If  it  be  so,  then  do  thou  thyself,  lord  of  the 
earth,  mark  out  the  course  of  the  boundary ;  we  will  establish 

185  it/     '  It  is  well/  said  the  lord  of  the  earth,  and  even  like  the 
king  of  the  gods  leaving  the  Nandana5  (garden)   he  went 
forth  from  the  Mahameghavanarama  into  his  palace. 

186  When  the  thera  on  the  fourth  day  had  eaten  in  the  king's 
house,  he  preached,  sitting  in  the  Nandana-grove,  the  Ana- 

1  Cf.  15.  25,  28,  31,  33,  37, 45,  47,  55.  2  Of.  note  to  12.  34. 

3  See  the  note  to  12.  26.  *  Cf.  note  to  14.  32. 

B  Nandana  or  Nanda  (see  31.  44)  is  the  name  of  a  pleasure-garden 
in  Indra's  heaven. 


xv.  196         The  Acceptance  of  the  Mahavihara         111 

matagga-discourse,1  and  when  he  had  given  there  a  thousand  187 
persons  to  drink  of  the  draught  of  immortality,  the  great 
thera  went  to  the  Mahameghavanarama.     But  having  com-  188 
manded  in  the  morning  to  beat  the  drum  and  to  adorn  the 
splendid  city  and  the  road  leading  to  the  vihara  and  all  around 
the  vihara,  the  lord  of  chariots  came  upon  his  car  to  his  arama,  189 
adorned  with  all  his  ornaments,  together  with  his  ministers 
and  the  women  of  the  harem,  with  chariots,  troops  and  beasts  190 
for  riders,2  in  a  mighty  train. 

When  he  had  here  sought  out  the  theras  and  paid  his 
respects  to  these  to  whom  respect  was  due,  he  ploughed  a  191 
furrow  in  a  circle,  making  it  to  begin  near  the  ford  on  the 
Kadamba-river,  and  ended  it  when  he  (again)   reached  the 


river. 


When  he  had  assigned  boundary-marks  on  the  furrow  that  192 
the  king  had  ploughed  and  had  assigned  the  boundaries  for 
thirty-two  malakas  and  for  the  Thuparama,  the  great  thera  193 
of  lofty  wisdom,  then  fixed  the  inner  boundary-marks  like- 
wise according  to  custom;  and  thus  the  ruler  (of  his  senses)  194 
did  on  one  and  the  same  day  establish  all  the  boundaries. 
The  great  earth  quaked  when  the  fixing  of  the  boundaries 
was  completed. 

When  on  the  fifth  day  the  thera  had  eaten  in  the  king's  195 
house  he  preached,  sitting  in  the  Nandana-grove,  the  Khajja- 
nlya-suttanta,4  to  a  great  multitude  of  people,  and  when  he  196 


1  Note  to  12.  31. 

2  The  Tika  explains  sayoggabalavahano  so:   ettha  yoggam 
ti  rathasakatadi,   balam  ti  sena,  vahane  ti  hatthiassadi. 
Cf.  2.->.  1. 

3  On  this  verse  cf.  Mah.  ed.,  p.  xxxvi.    The  ford  of  the  Kadamba- 
river  from  which  the  boundary  line  starts  and  to  which  it  returns  is 
called  in  the  Tika  Gangalatittha.    Instead  of  the  one  verse  191  the 
Sinhalese  MSS.  have,  in  all,  twenty  verses  which  describe  how  the 
king  himself  guides  the  plough  and  in  which  the  different  areas 
marked  off  are  designated.     The   passage  is  a  later  interpolation, 
drawn  chiefly  from  a  Slmakatha  of  the  Mahavihara. 

4  The  Khajjaniyavagga  from  S.  Ill,  pp.  81-104.   Specially,  perhaps, 
the  Sihasuttanta  (XXII.  79)  on  pp.  86-91. 


112  MaMvamsa  x v.  1 9  7 

had  given  to  drink  of  the  ambrosial  draught  to  a  thousand 
persons  there,  he  rested  (again)  in  the  Mahamegha-grove. 

197  When  also  on  the  sixth  day  the  thera  had  eaten  in  the 
king's  house  he  preached,  sitting  in  the  Nandana -grove,  the 

198  Gomayapindl-sutta,1  and  after  the  wise  preacher  had  thus 
brought  a  thousand  persons  to  conversion  he  rested  (again) 
in  the  Mahamegha-grove. 

199  When   on  the  seventh  day  the  thera  had   eaten  in   the 
king's  house  he  preached,  sitting  in  the  Nandana-garden,  the 

200  Dhammacakkappavattana-suttanta,2   and  having    brought   a 
thousand   persons   to    conversion   he   rested    (again)   in   the 

201  Mahamegha-grove,   when   he,   the  light-giver,   had   in   this 
wise  brought  eight  thousand  five  hundred   persons  to  con- 
version in  the  space  of  only  seven  days. 

202  The  Nandana-grove  being  the  place  where  the  holy  one  had 
made  the  true  doctrine  to  shine  forth,  is  called  the  Jotivana.3 

203  And  in  the  very  first  days  the  king  commanded  that  a  pasada 
be  built  for  the  thera  in  the  Tissarama,  and  he  had  the  bricks 

204  of  clay  dried  speedily  with   fire.     The  dwelling-house  was 
dark-coloured  and  therefore  they  named  it  the  Kalapasada- 
parivena.4 

205  Then  did  he  set  up  a  building  for  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  the 

206  Lohapasada,5  a  salaka-house,6  and  a  seemly  refectory.     He 
built  many  parivenas  in  an  excellent  manner,  and  bathing- 
tanks  and  buildings  for  repose,  by  night  and  by  day,  and  so 


1  I.e.  '  the  discourse  on  the  clod  of  cow-dung.'    S.  Ill,  p.  143 foil. 

2  Cf.  note  to  12.  41. 

8  I.  e.  '  Grove  of  light.' 

4  I.e.  'Cell  of  the  black  house.'    On  pasada  see  note  to  27.  14. 

5  We  have  here  apparently  a  tradition  according  to  which  the 
Lohapasada  was  built  by  Devanampiyatissa  and   not  first  erected 
by  Dutthagamani.     The  Tika  explains  the  passage  in  this  way  that 
Dutthagamani  built  his  '  House  of  Bronze  *  when  the  old  one  had 
been  removed. 

6  Food,  given  as  a  present  to  the  monastery  collectively,  is  dis- 
tributed to  the  monks  by  tickets  or  orders  called  salaka  ('slip'  of 
wood,  bark,  &c.).     The  building  where  the  distribution  takes  place, 
is  the  salakagga  *  salaka-house.'     GUILDERS,  P.D.,  s.  v.  salaka. 


XV.  214         The  Acceptance  of  the  Mahdviham         113 

forth.     The  parivena  on  the  brink  of  the  bathing-tank  (which  207 
was  allotted)  to  the  blameless  (thera)  is  called  the  Sunhata- 
parivena.1     The  parivena  on   the   spot  where  the   excellent  208 
Light  of  the  Island  used  to  walk  up  and  down  is  called  Dlgha- 
cahkamana.2     But  the  parivena  which  was  built  where  he  had  209 
sat  sunk  in  the  meditation  3  that  brings  the  highest  bliss  is  called 
from  this  the  Phalagga-parivena.4     The  (parivena  built  there)  210 
where  the  thera  had  seated  himself  leaning  against  a  support 
is  called  from  this  the  Therapassaya-parivena.5     The  (parivena  2 1 1 
built)  where  many  hosts  of  gods  had  sought  him  out  and  sat 
at  his  feet  is  therefore  called  the  Marugana-parivena.6     The  212 
commander    of    the   king's    troops,    Dlghasandana,   built    a 
little  pasada  for  the  thera  with  eight  great  pillars.     This  213 
famed  parivena,  the  home  of  renowned  men,7  is  called  the 
Dlghasandasenapati-parivena. 

The  wise  king,  whose  name  contains  the  words  'beloved  of  214 
the  gods ',  patronizing  the  great  thera  Mahinda,  of  spotless 
mind,  first  built  here  in  Lanka  this  Mahavihara.8 

Here  ends  the  fifteenth  chapter,  called  '  The  Acceptance  of 
the  Mahavihara ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene 
joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  I.  e.  the  cell  of  him  who  is  well-bathed  or  purified.    The  naha- 
tapapo  '  who  has  washed  away  the  evil '  is  Mahinda,  as  also  is  the 
dipadipo  in  208. 

2  I.  e.  the  long  walk  or  the  long  hall  for  walking.   See  note  to  5.  226. 

3  On  the  eight  samapatti,  i.e.  the  states  of  trance  reached  by 
samadhi  '  meditation',  see  KERN,  Manual,  p.  57. 

4  I.  e.  cell  of  the  highest  reward. 

5  I.  e.  cell  of  the  thera's  support. 

6  I.  e.  cell  of  the  hosts  of  gods. 

7  On  this  allusion  to  the  author  of  the  Mahavamsa,  Mahanama,  see 
GEIGER,  Dip.  and  Mah.  (English  ed.),  p.  41. 

8  Mahavihara,  'the  great  monastery,'  is  henceforth  the  name  for 
the  Mahameghavanarama. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  ACCEPTANCE  OF  THE  CETIYAPAB- 
B  AT  A- VIHARA 

1  GOING  into  the  city  for  alms  and  showing  favour  to  the 
people  (by  preaching) ;  eating  in  the  king's  house  and  showing 

2  favour  to  the  king  (by  preaching)  the  thera  dwelt  twenty-six 
days  in  the  Mahamegha-grove.     But  when,  on  the  thirteenth 
day  of  the  bright  half  of  the  month  Asalha,1  the  lofty-souled 

3  (thera)  had  eaten  in  the  great  king's  house  and  had  preached 

4  (to  him)  the  Mahappamada-suttanta,2  he  went  thence,  for 
he  would  fain  have  a  vihara  founded  on  the  Cetiya-mountain,3 
departing  by  the  east  gate  (he  went)  to  the  Cetiya-mountain. 

5  When  the  king  heard  that  the  thera  had  gone  thither  he 
mounted  his  car,  and  taking  the  two  queens  with   him    he 

6  followed  hard  after  the  thera.    When  the  theras  had  bathed  in 
the  Nagacatukka-tank 4  they  stood  in  their  due  order  to  go 

7  up  to  the  mountain-top.    Then  the  king  stepped  down  from  the 
car  and  stood  there  respectfully  greeting  the  theras.    '  Where- 
fore, O  king,  art  thou  come  wearied  by  the  heat  ? '  they  said ; 

8  and  on  the  reply  :  '  Troubled  by  your  departure  am  I  come/ 
the  theras  answered  :  '  We  are  come  to  spend  the  rain -season 

9  even  here,'  and  he  who   was  versed  in  the  rules5  (of   the 

1  See  note  to  1.  12. 

2  I.e.  'Great  discourse  on  vigilance.'     There  are  several  suttas  in 
S.,  bearing  the  title  appamadasutta.     See  note  to  5.  68. 

3  The  later  name  of  the  Missaka-mountain,  given  on  account  of  the 
many  shrines  built  there.     See  note  to  13.  14. 

4  See  note  to  14.  36 

6  Lit.  who  was  versed  in  the  khandhas,  i.  e.  the  sections  of  the  vinaya 
(CHILDERS,  s.v.  vinayo).  The  vassupanayika  khandhaka  is 
Mahavagga  III  (OLDENBERG,  the  Vin.  Pit.  i,  p.  137  foil. ;  S.B.E.  xiii, 
p.  298  foil.).  During  the  rainy  season  the  bhikkhus  were  forbid- 
den to  travel,  but  used  to  live  together  in  a  vihara.  See  KERN, 
Manual ,  p.  80  foil.,  on  the  vassavasa. 


XVI.  1 8    The  Acceptance  of  the  Cetiyapabbata-vihara    115 

order),  expounded  to   the  king  the  chapter  concerning  the 
vassa. 

When  the  king's  nephew,  the  chief  minister  Maharittha,  10 
who  stood  near  the  king  with  his  fifty-five  elder  and  younger 
brothers,  heard   this,  after  seeking   the   king's   leave,   they  ll 
received  the  pabbajja  that  very  day  from  the  thera,  and  all 
these  wise  men  attained  to  arahantship  even  in  the  shaving- 
hall.1 

When  the  king,  on  that  same  day,  had  made  a  beginning  12 
with  the  work  of  building  sixty-eight  rock-cells  about  (the 
place    where)    the    Kantaka-cetiya    (afterwards    stood),    he  13 
returned  to  the  city ;  but  the  theras  remained  in  that  spot, 
going  at  the  appointed  time,  full  of  compassion  (for  the  people) 
to  the  city  to  beg  alms  there. 

When  the  work  on  the  rock-cells  was  finished,  on  the  full-  14 
moon  day  of  the  month  Asalha,  the  king  came  and  gave  the 
vihara  to  the  theras  as  a  consecrated  offering. 

When  the  thera,  who  had  passed  beyond  the  boundaries  (of  15 
evil)   had   established    the    boundaries    for    the    thirty-two 
malakas  2  and  the  vihara,  then  did  he  on  the  very  same  day  in 
the  Tumbaru-malaka,  which  was  marked  out  as  the  first  of  all,  16 
confer  the  upasampada  on  all  those  who  were  weary  of  the 
pabbajja.3     And  these  sixty-two  arahants,  taking  up  their  17 
abode   during   the   rain-season   all  together  on   the  Cetiya- 
mountain,  showed  favour  to  the  king  (by  their  teaching). 

And,  in  that  the  hosts  of  gods  and  men  drew  near  with  18 
reverence  to  him,  the  leader  of  the  host  (of  his  disciples),  and 
to  his  company  that  had  attained  to  wide  renown  for  virtue, 
they  heaped  up  great  merit. 

Her  ends  the  sixteenth  chapter,  called  '  The  Acceptance 
of  the  Cetiyapabbata- vihara ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for 
the  serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  Where,  as  is  the  rule  at  the  admission  of  bhikkhus,  their  hair  was 
shaved  off.  2  See  note  to  15.  29. 

3  Pabbajjapekkhanam  stands  for  pabbajja-upekkhanam. 
Maharittha  and  his  brothers  have  only  received  the  pabbajja  or  first 
ordination  a  few  days  before  (see  11),  but  they  already  long  for  the 
higher  ordination,  the  upasampada. 

'   I  2 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  RELICS 

1  WHEN  the  great  thera  of  lofty  wisdom,  after  spending-  the 
rain-season  (thus),  had  held  the  pavarana-ceremony,1  on  the 
full-moon  day  of  the  month  Kattika,2  he  spoke  thus  to  the 

2  king :  '  Long  is  the  time,  O  lord  of  men,  since  we  have  seen 
the  Sambuddha.    We  lived  a  life  without  a  master.    There  is 

3  nothing  here  for  us  to  worship.'     And  to  the  question :  '  Yet 
hast  thou  not  told  rne,  sir,  that  the  Sambuddha  is  passed  into 
nibbana  ?  '  he  answered  :  '  If  we  behold  the  relics  we  behold  the 

4  Conqueror.'    '  My  intention  to  build  a  thupa  is  known  to  you. 

5  I  will  build  the  thupa,  and  do  you  discover  the  relics.'     The 
thera  replied  to  the  king  :  '  Take  counsel  with  Sumana  ';  and 
the  king  said  to  the  samanera :  '  Whence  shall  we  have  the 

6  relics  ? '     '  O  lord  of  men,  when  thou  hast  commanded  the 
adorning  of  the  city  and  the  road  and  hast  taken  the  uposatha- 
vows  upon  thyself3  together  with  thy  company,  go  thou,  in 

7  the  evening,  mounted  on  thy  state-elephant,  bearing  the  white 
parasol  and  attended  by  musicians,4  to  the  Mahanaga-park. 

8  There,  O  king,  wilt  thou  receive  relics  of  him  who  knew  how 
to  destroy  the  elements  of  existence/5  so  said  the  samanera 
Sumana  to  the  (king),  glad  of  heart. 

1  Pavaretva.     On  the  pavarana-ceremony  at  the  conclusion  of 
vassa  see  Mahavagga  IV.     Vin.  Pit.,  ed.  OLDENBERG,  i,  p.  157  foil. ; 
S.B.E.  xiii,  p.  325  foil. 

2  See  note  to  1.  12. 

8  Uposathi  is  a  synonym  of  uposathika.  The  uposatha-vows 
as  kept  by  laymen  consist  in  '  fasting  and  abstinence  from  sensual 
pleasures  *  (see  CHILDERS,  s.v.  uposatho). 

4  The  Tika  explains  talavacarasamhito  by  sabbehi  tala- 
vacarehi  sahito  bherimudingadituriyahatthapurisehi  pa- 
rivarito. 

6  A  play  on  the  word  dhatu,  meaning  'element'  (see  KERN, 
Manual,  p.  51,  n.  2),  and  dhatu  '  relic  '. 


xvii.  21  The  Arrival  of  the  Eelics  117 

And  now  the  tliera  went  forth  from  the  king's  house  to  the  9 
Cetiya-mountain  and  summoned  the  samanera  Sumana,  bent 
on  holy  thoughts.1     (  Go,  friend  Sumana,  and  when  thou  art  1 0 
come  to  the  fair  Pupphapura,2  deliver  to  the  mighty  king,,  thy 
grandfather,  this  charge  from  us  :   "  Thy  friend,  O  great  king,  1 1 
the  great  king,  the  friend  of  the  gods/  desires,  being  converted 
to  the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha,  to  build  a  thupa;  do  thou  give  12 
him  the  relics  of  the  Sage  and  the  alms-bowl  that  the  Master 
used,  for  many  relics  of  the  (Buddha's)  body  are  with  thee." 
When  thou  hast  received  the  alms-bowl  full  (of  relics)  go  to  13 
the  fair  city  of  the  gods  and  declare  to  Sakka,  king  of  the 
gods,  this  charge  from  us  :  "  The  relic,  the  right  eye-tooth  of  1 4 
the  (Buddha),  worthy  of  the  adoration  of  the  three  worlds,  is 
with  thee,  O  king  of  the  gods,  and  the  relic  of  the  right 
collar-bone.     Honour  thou  the  tooth ;  the  collar-bone  of  the  1 5 
Master  do  thou  give  away.     Grow  not  weary  of  thy  duty 
toward  the  isle  of  Lanka,  O  lord  of  the  gods  !  " 

And  the  samanera  of  wondrous  power,  replying:  '  So  be  it,  16 
sir,'  went,  that  very  moment,  to  the  king  Dhammasoka  and  17 
found  him  even  as  he  stood  at  the  foot  of  a  sala-tree  and 
honoured  the  beautiful  and  sacred  Bodhi-tree  with  the  offerings 
of  the  Kattika-festival. 

When  he  had  delivered  the  thera's  charge  and  had  accepted  1 8 
the  alms-bowl  full  of  relics  received  from  the  king  he  went  to 
the  Himalaya.     When,  on  the  Himalaya,  he  had  set  down  that  1 9 
most  sacred  bowl  with  the  relics,  he  went  to  the  king  of 
the  gods  and  delivered  the  thera's  charge. 

Sakka^  the  lord  of  the  gods,  took  from  the  Culamani-cetiya  4  20 
the  right  collar-bone  (of  the  Buddha)   and  gave  it  to  the 
samanera.     Thereupon  the  ascetic  Sumana  took  the  relic  and  21 
the  bowl  with  the  relics  likewise  and  returning  to  the  Cetiya- 
mountain  he  handed  them  to  the  thera. 

1  Play  on  the    name    Sumana   and   su-manogati.     Wijesinha 
translates  the  surname  '  whose  mind  was  well-disposed  to  the  work 
that  was  to  be  confided  to  him '.     For  the  rendering  in  the  Tlka  see 
Mah.  ed.,  note  on  this  passage. 

2  See  note  to  4.  31. 

3  Maruppiya,  a  synonym  of  Devanampiya. 

4  A  sacred  shrine  supposed  to  be  erected  in  the  heaven  of  gods. 


118  Mahavamsa  XVII.  22 

22  In  the  evening  the  king,  at  the  head  of  the  royal  troops, 
went  to  the  Mahanaga-park,  in  the  manner  (already)  told. 

23  The  thera  put  all  the  relics  down  there  on  the  mountain,  and 
therefore    the    Missaka-mountain    was    called    the    Cetiya- 
mountain. 

24  When  the  thera  had  put  the  vessel  with  the  relics  on  the 
Cetiy a- mountain,  he  took  the  collar-bone  relic  and  went  with 
his  company  of  disciples  to  the  appointed  place. 

25  'If  this  is  a  relic  of  the  Sage  then  shall  my  parasol  bow 
down,  of  itself,  my  elephant  shall  sink  upon  its  knees,  this 

26  relic-urn,  coming  (toward  me)  with   the   relic  shall  descend 
upon  my  head.'     So  thought  the  king,  and  as  he  thought  so 

27  it  came  to  pass.     And   as  if  sprinkled  with  ambrosia  the 
monarch  was  full  of  joy,  and  taking  (the  urn)  from  his  head 
he  set  it  on  the  back  of  the  elephant. 

28  Then   did  the   elephant   trumpet  joyfully  and  the  earth 
quaked.     And  the  elephant  turned  about  and  having  entered 

29  the  fair  city  by  the  east  gate,  together  with  the  theras  and 
the  troops  and  vehicles,  and  having  left  it  again  by  the  south 

30  gate  he  went  to  the  building  of  the  Great  Sacrifice  set  up1 
to  the  west  of  the  spot  where  (afterwards)  the  cetiya  of  the 
Thuparama 2  was  ;  and  when  he  had  turned  around  on  the  place 

31  of  the  Bodhi-tree  he  remained  standing,  his  head  turned  toward 
the  east. 

But  at  that  time  the  place  of  the  thiipa  was  covered  with 
flowering  kadamba-plants  and  adari-creepers.3 

32  When  the  god  among  men  had  caused  this  holy  place,  pro- 
tected by  the  gods,  to  be  cleared  and  adorned,  he  began  forth- 

33  with,   in   seemly   wise,   to   take   the   relic   down    from    the 

1  Evidently  the   mahejjaghara  mentioned  in  10.  90.    There,  as 
here,  the  Sinhalese  MSS.  have  pabheda  instead  of  mahejja. 

2  The  thupa  of  the  Thuparama,  the  erection  of  which  is  described 
in  our  passage,  is  situated  near  the  southern  wall  of  the  city  in  the 
Nandana-garden.     Cf.  note  to  1.  82. 

3  This  creeper  is  mentioned  in  the   Mahavamsa  in  five   places, 
besides  the  above  passage:  19.  73,  33.  85,  35.  104:   kadambapup- 
phagumba;   25.  48:  kadambapupphavalli ;   35.  116:  kadam- 
bapupphathana.     For  adari  I  would  refer  to  the  Skt.  names  of 
plants,  adara  and  adaribinibi. 


XVTI.  44  The  Arrival  of  the  Relics  119 

elephant's  back.     But  this  the  elephant  would  not  suffer,  and 
the  king  asked  the  thera  what  he  wished.     And  the  other  34 
answered  :  '  He  would  fain  have  (them)  put  in  a  place  that  is 
equal  (in  height)  to   his  back;  therefore  will  he  not  suffer 
them  to  be  taken  down.' 

Then  with  lumps  of  dry  clay  that  he  had  commanded  to  be  35 
brought T  straightway  from  the  dried  Abhaya-tank  2  he  raised 
a  pile  even  as  (high  as  the  elephant),  and  when  the  king  had  36 
caused  this  high-standing  place  to  be  adorned  in  manifold 
ways  and  had  caused  the  relic  to  be  taken  down  from  the 
back  of  the  elephant,  he  placed  it  there. 

(Then)  having  entrusted  the  elephant  with  the  guarding  of  37 
the  relic  and  having  left  him  there,  the  king,  whose  heart  was 
set  on  building  a  thupa  for  the  relic,  and  who  speedily  com-  38 
manded  many  people  to  make  bricks,  went  back  with  his  minis- 
ters to  the  city  meditating  (to  hold)  a  solemn  festival  for  the 
relic.    But  the  great  thera  Mahinda  went  with  his  company  of  39 
disciples  to  the  beautiful  Mahamegha-grove  and  rested  there. 

During  the  night  the  elephant  paced  around  the  place  with  40 
the  relic;  through  the  day  he   stood  with  the  relic  in  the 
hall  on  the  spot  (destined)  for  the  Bodhi-tree.     When  the  41 
monarch,  obedient  to  the  thera's  wish,  had  built  up  3  the  thupa 
knee-high  above  that  (brick-)work  and  had  caused  the  (festival  42 
of  the)  laying  down  of  the  relic  to  be  proclaimed  in  that  same 
place,  he  went  thither  and  from  this  region  and  that,  from 
every  side  a  multitude  assembled  there. 

Amid  this  assembly  the  relic  rose  up  in  the  air  from  the  43 
elephant's  back,  and  floating  in  the  air  plain  to  view,  at  the 
height  of  seven  talas,  throwing  the  people  into  amazement,  44 

1  Read  anapetva,  as  in  good  MSS.,  instead  of  anapetva. 

2  See  note  to  10.  84. 

3  According  to  the  MSS.  ci nape tva  should  be  read,  not  khana- 
petva  (TURNOUR).    The  sense  is  as  follows  :  The  original  brickwork, 
as  described  in  v.  35,  remains  standing.     Its  surface  forms  the  base 
for  the  relic-chamber.     Round  about  and  from  this  the  building  of 
the  thupa  is   continued  knee-high    (janghamatta)    so  as   to  be 
finished  in  the  shape  of  a  hemisphere,  after  the  placing  of  the  relic  in 
the  chamber  thus  formed. 


120  Mahavamsa  xvii.  45 

it  wrought  that   miracle    of   the  double  appearances,1  that 
caused  the  hair  (of  the  beholders)  to  stand  on  end,  even  as  (did) 

45  the  Buddha  under  the  Gandamba-tree.     By  the  rays  of  light 
and  streams  of  water  pouring  down  therefrom  was  the  whole 
land  of  Lanka  illumined  and  flooded  again  and  again. 

46  When  the  Conqueror  lay  stretched  upon  the  couch  of  the 
great  nibbana  the  five  great  resolutions  were  formed  by  him, 
who  was  endowed  with  the  five  eyes.2 

47  'The  south  branch  of   the   great  Bodhi-tree,  grasped  by 
Asoka,  being  detached  of  itself,  shall  place  itself  in  a  vase. 

48  When  it  is  so  placed  the  branch,  illumining  all  the  regions  of 
the  world,  shall  put  forth  lovely  rays  of  six  colours  from  its 

49  fruits  and  leaves.     Then,  rising  up  with  the  golden  vase,  this 
delightful  (tree)  shall  abide  invisible  for  seven  days  in  the 

50  region  of  snow.     My  right  collar-bone,  if  it  be  laid  in  the 
Thuparama,  shall  rise  in  the  air  and  perform  the  miracle  of 

51  the  double  appearances.     If  my  pure  relics,  filling  a  dona- 
measure,  are  laid  in  the  Hemamalika-cetiya,  that  ornament  of 

52  Lanka,  they  shall  take  the  form  of  the  Buddha,  and  rising  and 
floating  in  the  air,  they  shall  take  their  place  after  having 
wrought  the  miracle  of  the  double  appearances.' 

53  Thus  did  the  Tathagata  form  five  resolutions  and  therefore 

54  was  the  miracle  then  wrought  by  the  relic.     Coming  down 
from  the  air  it  rested  on  the  head  of  the  monarch,  and  full  of 

55  joy  the  king  laid  it  in  the  cetiya.     So  soon  as  the  relic  was 
laid  in  the  cetiya  a  wondrous  great  earthquake  came  to  pass, 

56  causing  a  thrill  (of  awe).     Thus  are  the  Buddhas  incompre- 
hensible, and  incomprehensible  is  the  nature  of  the  Buddhas, 
and  incomprehensible  is  the  reward  of  those  who  have  faith  in 
the  incomprehensible. 

1  This    yamakam    patihariyam    is    mentioned    again   30.   82 
(ambamule  patihiram)  and   31.  99.     The  reference  is  to  the 
miracle  performed  by  the  Buddha  in  Savatthi,  to  refute  the  heretical 
teachers  (cf.  Samanta-pasadika,  OLDENBERG,  Vin.  Pit.  iii,  p.  33216). 
It  consisted  in  the  appearance  of  phenomena  of  opposite  character 
in    pairs,    as    for    example,    streaming    forth    of    fire    and  water. 
This   same   miracle   was   performed    by    the    Buddha    repeatedly. 
(FAUSBOLL,  Jataka,  i,  p.  7722,  8820.) 

2  Cf.  note  to  3.  1. 


xvii.  65  The  Arrival  of  the  Eelics  121 

When  the  people  saw  the  miracle  they  had  faith  in  the  57 
Conqueror.     But  the  prince  Mattabhaya,  the  king's  younger 
brother,  who  had  faith  in  the  King  of  Sages,  begged  leave  of  58 
the  king  of  men  and  received  the  pabbajja  of  the  doctrine 
with  a  thousand  of  his  followers. 

And  from  Cetavigama  and  also  from  Dvaramandala1  and  also  59 
from  Viharablja,  even  as  from  Gallakapltha  and  from  Upatis-  60 
sagama,2  from  each  of  these  there  received  gladly  the  pabbajja 
five  hundred  young  men  in  whom  faith  in  the  Tathagata  had 
been  awakened. 

So  all  these  who,  (coming)  from  within  the  city  and  with-  61 
out  (the  city),  had  received  the  pabbajja  of  the  Conqueror's 
doctrine  now  numbered  thirty  thousand  bhikkhus. 

When  the  ruler  of  the  earth  had  completed  the  beautiful  62 
thupa  in  the  Thuparama  he  caused  it  to  be  worshipped  per- 
petually with  gifts  of  many  jewels  and  so  forth.     The  women  63 
of  the  royal  household,  the  nobles,  ministers,  townspeople,  and 
also  all  the  country-folk  brought  each  their  offerings. 

And  here  the  king  founded  a  vihara,  the  thupa  of  which  64 
had  been  built  before ;  for  that  reason  this  vihara  was  known 
by  the  name  Thuparama. 

Thus  by  these  relics  of  his  body  the  Master  of  the  World,  65 
being  already  passed  into  nibbana,  truly  bestowed  salvation 
and  bliss  in  abundance  on  mankind.     How  can  there  be  dis- 
course (of  this,  as  it  was)  when  the  Conqueror  yet  lived  ? 

Here  ends  the  seventeenth  chapter,  called  c  The  Arrival  of 
the  Relics ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  See  note  to  10.  1.  2  See  note  to  7.  44. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  RECEIVING  OF  THE  GREAT  BODHI-TREE 

1  THE  monarch  remembered  the  word  spoken  by  the  thera, 
that  he  should  send  for  the  great  Bodhi-tree  and  the  then, 

2  and  when,  on  a  certain  day  during  the  rain-season,  he  was 
sitting-  in  his  own  city  with  the  thera  and  had  taken  counsel 

3  with  his  ministers  he  entrusted  his  own  nephew,  his  minister 
named  Arittha,  with  this  business. 

When   he   had   pondered  (on   the  matter)  and   had   sum- 

4  moned  him  he  spoke  to  him  in  these  words  :  '  Canst  thou  per- 
chance, my  dear,  go  to  Dhammasoka  to  bring  hither  the  great 

5  Bodhi-tree  and  the  therl  Samghamitta  ? '     '  I  can  bring  them 
hither,  your  majesty,  if  I  be  allowed,  when  I  am  come  back, 
to  receive  the  pabbajja,  O  most  exalted  ! ' 

6  '  So  be  it,'  answered  the  king  and  sent  him  thence.    When 
he  had  received  the  command  of  the  thera  and  the  king  and 

7  had  taken  his  leave  he  set  forth  on  the  second  day  of  the 
bright  half  of  the  month  Assayuja,1  and  having  embarked, 

8  filled  with  zeal  (for  his  mission)  at  the  haven  Jambukola  and 
having  passed  over  the  great  ocean  he  came,  by  the  power  of 
the  thera's  will,  to  the  pleasant  Pupphapura  2  even  on  the  day 
of  his  departure. 

9  The  queen  Anula,  who,  with  five  hundred  maidens  and  five 
10  hundred  women   of   the  royal  harem  had  accepted  the  ten 

precepts,3   did  (meanwhile)  pious  as  she  was,  (wearing)  the 

1  See  note  to  1.  12. 

2  See  note  to  4.  31. 

3  Dasasilam.    These  are  the  precepts:  (1)  not  to  kill  any  living 
being,  (2)  to  refrain  from  taking  the  property  of  others,  (3)  not  to 
commit  adultery,  (4)  to  avoid  lying,  (5)  to  drink  no  intoxicating  drink, 
(6)  only  to  take  food  at  certain  prescribed  hours,  (7)  to  avoid  worldly 
amusements,  (8)  to  use  neither  unguents  nor  ornaments,  (9)  not  to 
sleep  on  a  high  or  decorated  bed,  (10)  not  to  accept  any  gold  or  silver. 
There  are  also  frequent  references  to  the  five  or  eight  pledges  which 


XVIIL  22     The  Eeceiving  of  tine  Great  Bodhi-tree      123 

yellow  robe,  waiting  for  the  pabbajja,  in  discipline,  looking1  for 
the  coming  of  the  theii,  take  up  her  abode,  leading  a  holy  life,  1 1 
in  the  pleasant  nunnery  built  by  the  king  in  a  certain  part  of 
the  city.     Since  the  nunnery  was  inhabited  by  these  lay-  12 
sisters   it  became  known  in  Lanka   by  the  name  Upasika- 
vihara.1 

When  the  nephew  Maharittha  had  delivered  the   king's  13 
message  to  the  king  Dhammasoka  he  gave  him  (also)  the  thera's 
message :  { The  spouse  of  the  brother  of  thy  friend,  of  the  1 4 
king  (Devanampiya),  O  thou   elephant  among  kings,  lives, 
longing  for  the  pabbajja,  constantly  in  stern  discipline.    To  be-  15 
stow  on  her  the  pabbajja  do  thou  send  the  bhikkhum  Samgha- 
mitta  and  with  her  the  south  branch  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree.' 

And  the  same  matter,  even  as  the  thera  had  charged  him,  16 
he  told  the  then ;  the  then  went  to  her  father  (Asoka)  and 
told  him  the  thera's  purpose. 

The  king  said  :  '  How  shall  I,  when  I  no  longer  behold  thee,  1 7 
dear  one,  master  the  grief  aroused  by  the  parting  with  son  and 
grandson  ? ' 2 

She  answered:  'Weighty  is  the  word  of  my  brother,  O  18 
great  king ;  many  are  they  that  must  receive  the  pabbajja ; 
therefore  must  I  depart   thither.'     'The    great  Bodhi-trees  19 
must  not  be  injured  with  a  knife,  how  then  can  I  have  a 
branch  ! '    mused  the  king.     Then  when  he,  following  the  20 
counsel  of  his  minister  Mahadeva,  had  invited  the  community 
of  bhikkhus  and  had  shown  them  hospitality  the  monarch 
asked  :  '  Shall  the  great  Bodhi-tree  be  sent  to  Lanka,  sirs  ? '     21 

The  thera  Moggaliptttta  answered:  ' It  shall  be  sent  thither,' 
and  he  related  to  the  king  the  five  great  resolutions  that  the  22 
(Buddha)  gifted  with  the  five  eyes  had  formed.3 

one  may  take  on  oneself.  These  are  the  first  five  or  eight  respectively 
of  the  above  series.  For  members  of  the  order  the  third  precept  is 
more  rigorous,  since  sexual  intercourse  must  be  avoided  altogether. 
See  note  on  1.  62. 

1  I.  e. '  Vihara  of  the  lay -sisters.' 

2  That  is,  from  Mahinda  and  Sumana,  the  son  of  Samghamitta  and 
Aggibrahma  (5.  170  ;  13.  4,  &c.). 

3  See  17.  46  foil. 


124  MaJiavamsa  xvill.  23 

23  When  the  ruler  of  the  earth  heard  this  he  was  glad,  and 
when  he  had  caused  the  road,  seven  yojanas  long-,  leading  to 
the  great  Bodhi-tree  to  be  carefully  cleaned  he  adorned  it  in 

24  manifold  ways,  and  gold  he  caused  to  be  brought  to  make  ready 
a  vase.     Vissakamma,1  who  appeared  in  the   semblance  of 

25  a  goldsmith,  asked:    '  How  large  shall  I  make  the  vase?' 
Then  being  answered :    '  Thyself  deciding  the  size  do  thou 

26  make  it/  he  took  the  gold,  and  having  moulded  it  with  his 
hand  he   made   a  vase   in  that  very  moment  and  departed 
thence. 

27  When  the  king  had  received  the  beautiful  vase  measuring 
nine  cubits  2  around  and  five  cubits  in  depth  and  three  cubits 

28  across,  being  eight  finger-breadths  thick,  having  the  upper 
edge  of  the  size  of  a  young  elephant's  trunk,  being  in  radiancy 

29  equal  to  the  young  (morning)  sun;  when,  with  his  army  of 
four  divisions 3  stretching  to  a  length  of  seven  yojanas  and 
a  width   of   three   yojanas,  and  with  a   great   company  of 

30  bhikkhus,  he  had  gone  to  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  decked  with 
manifold  ornaments,  gleaming  with  various  jewels  and  gar- 

31  landed  with  many  coloured  flags;4  when  he,  moreover,  had 
ranged  his  troops  about  (the  tree),  bestrewn  with  manifold 
flowers  and  resounding  with  many  kinds  of  music  and  had 

32  covered  it  round  with  a  tent;  when  in  seemly  wise  he  had 
surrounded  himself  and  the  great  Bodhi-tree  with  a  thousand 
great  theras  at  the  head  of  a  great  company  (of  bhikkhus) 
and    with    more   than    a    thousand   princes  who   had   been 

33  anointed  as  king,  he  gazed  up  with  folded  hands  at  the  great 
Bodhi-tree. 

34  Then  from  its  south  bough  the  branches  vanished,  leaving 
a  stump  four  cubits  long. 

1  The  God  of  skill;  Skt.  VUvakarman. 

2  See  note  to  15.  16. 

8  Caturangini  sena,  consisting  of  foot-soldiers,  cavalry,  com- 
batants in  chariots,  and  elephants. 

4  On  the  world-wide  custom  of  decking  out  sacred  trees  with  gay 
strips  of  stuff  see  ANDREE,  Ethnogr.  Paralhlen  und  Vergleiche,  p.  58 
foil.  Concerning  such  a  '  Lappenbaum '  on  the  Terrace  of  the  Ruwan- 
waeli-dagaba  in  Anuradhapura,  see  GEIUER,  Ceylon,  p.  181. 


xviii.  46     The  Eeceiving  of  the  Great  Bodhi-tree       125 

When  the  ruler  of  the  earth  saw  the  miracle  he  cried  out,  35 
rejoicing :    '  I  worship  the   great   Bodhi-tree   by  bestowing 
kingship  (thereon),'  and  the  monarch  consecrated  the  great  36 
Bodhi-tree  as  king  of  his  great  realm.     When  he  had  wor- 
shipped the  great  Bodhi-tree  with  gifts  of  flowers  and  so 
forth,  and  had  passed  round  it  three  times  turning  to  the 
left1  and  had  done  reverence  to  it  at  eight  points2  with  37 
folded   hands,   he  had  the  golden  vase  placed  upon  a  seat 
inlaid  with  gold,  adorned  with  various  gems   and   easy  to  38 
mount,  reaching  to  the  height  of  the  bough ;   and  when,  in 
order  to  receive  the  sacred  branch,  he  had  mounted  upon  it, 
grasping  a  pencil  of  red  arsenic  with  a  golden  handle  he  drew  39 
(with  this)  a  line  about  the  bough  and  uttered  the  solemn 
declaration : 3 

'So  truly  as  the  great  Bodhi-tree  shall  go  hence  to  the  40 
isle  of  Lanka,  and  so  truly  as  I  shall  stand  unalterably  firm 
in  the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha,  shall  this  fair  south  branch  of  41 
the  great  Bodhi-tree,  severed  of  itself,  take  its  place  here  in 
this  golden  vase/ 

Then  the  great  Bodhi-tree  severed,  of  itself,  at  the  place  42 
where  the  line  was,  floating  above  the  vase  filled  with  fragrant 
earth.     Above  the  line  first  (drawn)  the  ruler  of  men  drew,  43 
at    (a  distance  of)    three   finger-breadths,  round   about   ten 
(further)  pencil-strokes.    And  ten  strong  roots  springing  from  44 
the  first  and  ten  slender  from  each  of  the  other  (lines)  dropped 
down,  forming  a  net. 

When  the  king  saw  this  miracle  he  uttered  even  there,  45 
greatly  gladdened,  a  cry  of  joy,  and  with  him  his  followers 
all  around  and  the  community  of  bhikkhus  raised,  with  glad  46 

1  Tipadakkhinam  katva,  i.e.  had  walked  round  it  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  thing  or  person  worshipped  is  kept  on  the  right 
hand. 

2  I.e.  at  the  four  cardinal  points,  E.,  N.,  &c.,  as  well  as  the  inter- 
mediate points,  NE.,  NW.,  &c. 

3  The  conception  of  the  saccakiriya,  lit. '  effect  of  the  truth,'  is 
hardly  to  be  rendered  in  a  translation.     Beside  the  declaration  it 
includes  a  wish.    The  saccakiriya  is  always  given  in  this  form  :  if 
or  so  truly  as  such  and  such  is  the  case  shall  such  and  such  a  thing 
come  to  pass.    See  CHILDEKS,  P.  D.,  s.v. 


126  Mahavamsa  xvill.  47 

hearts,  cries  of  salutation  and  round  about  was  a  thousandfold 
waving  of  stuffs. 

47  Thus  with  a  hundred  roots  the  great  Bodhi-tree  set  itself 
there   in  the  fragrant  earth,   converting  the  people  to  the 

48  faith.     Ten  cubits  long  was  the  stem ;   five  lovely  branches 
(were  thereon),  each  four  cubits  long  and  (each)  adorned  with 

49  five  fruits,  and  on  these  branches  were  a  thousand  twigs. 
Such  was  the  ravishing  and  auspicious  great  Bodhi-tree. 

50  At  the  moment  that  the  great  Bodhi-tree  set  itself  in  the 
vase  the  earth  quaked  and  wonders  of  many  kinds  came  to 

51  pass.    By  the  resounding  of  the  instruments  of  music  (which 
gave  out  sound)  of  .themselves  among  gods  and  men,  by  the 
ringing-out  of  the  shout  of  salutation  from  the  hosts  of  devas 

52  and   brahmas,1  by  the  crash   of   the  clouds,  (the  voices)  of 
beasts  and  birds,  of  the  yakkhas  and  so  forth  and  by  the  crash 

53  of  the  quaking  of  the  earth  all  was  in  one  tumult.    Beautiful 2 
rays  of  six  colours  going  forth  from  the  fruits  and  leaves  of 

54  the   Bodhi-tree   made    the  whole   universe   to  shine.     Then 
rising  in  the  air  with  the  vase  the  great  Bodhi-tree  stayed 
for  seven  days  invisible  in  the  region  of  the  snow. 

55  The  king  came  down  from  his  seat  and  sojourning  there 
for  seven  days  he  continually  brought  offerings  in  many  ways 

56  to  the  great  Bodhi-tree.     When  the  week  was  gone  by  all 
the  snow-clouds  and  all  the  rays  likewise  entered  into  the 

57  great  Bodhi-tree,  and  in  the  clear  atmosphere  the  glorious 
great  Bodhi-tree  was  displayed  to  the  whole  people,  planted 

58  in  the  golden  vase.     Whilst  wonders  of  many  kinds  came  to 
pass  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  plunging  mankind  into  amazement, 
descended  on  the  earth. 

59  Rejoiced  by  the  many  wonders  the  great  king  worshipped 
again  the  great  Bodhi-tree  by  (bestowing  on  it)  his  great 

60  kingdom,  and,  when  he  had  consecrated  the  great  Bodhi-tree 
unto  great  kingship  he  abode,  worshipping   it  with  divers 
offerings,  yet  another  week  in  that  same  place. 

61  In  the  bright  half  of  the  month  Assayuja  on  the  fifteenth 
uposatha-day  he  received  the  great  Bodhi-tree;    two  weeks 

1  I.  e.  gods  of  lower  and  higher  rank. 

8  Cf.  on  53-54  the  prophecy  in  17.  48,  49. 


xvin.  68     The  Receiving  oftlie  Great  JBodhi-tree      127 

after  in  the  dark  half  of  the  month  Assayuja  on  the  four-  62 
teenth-uposatha  day  the  lord  of  chariots  brought  the  great 
Bodhi-tree,  having  placed  it  on  a  beautiful  car  on  the  same  63 
day,  amid  offerings,  to  his  capital ;  and  when  he  had  built 
a  beautiful  hall  (for  it)  adorned  in  manifold  ways,  and  there  64 
on  the  first  day  of  the  bright  half  of  the  month  Kattika  had 
caused  the  great  Bodhi-tree  to  be  placed  on  the  east  side  of 
the  foot  of  a  beautiful  and  great  sala-tree,  he  allotted  to  it  65 
day  by  day  many  offerings.     But  on  the  seventeenth  day 
after  the  receiving  (of  the  tree)  new  shoots  appeared  on  it  all  66 
at  once ;  therefore,  rejoicing,  the  lord  of  men  once  more  wor- 
shipped the  great  Bodhi-tree  by  bestowing  kingship  upon  it. 
When   the   great   ruler   had   consecrated   the   great  Bodhi-  67 
tree  unto  kingship  he  appointed  a  festival  of  offerings  in 
divers  forms  for  the  great  Bodhi-tree. 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  festival  of  adoration  of  the  68 
great   Bodhi-tree,   vivid   with   gay  and   lovely  flags,  great, 
brilliant  and  splendid,  in  the  city  of  flowers,  opened  the  hearts 
of  gods  and  men  (to  the  faith)  (even  as)  in  the  lake  the  sun 
(opens  the  lotuses).1 

Here  ends  the  eighteenth  chapter,  called  '  The  Receiving  of 
the  Great  Bodhi-tree',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the 
serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  The  festival  of  the  Bodhi-tree  is  compared  to  the  sun  (saramsa), 
the  city  of  flowers,  i.e.  Pataliputta,  to  the  lake  (saras),  and  the 
hearts  of  gods  and  men  to  the  lotus-flowers,  growing  in  the  lake. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  BODHI-TREE 

1  WHEN  the  lord  of  chariots  had  appointed  to  watch  over  the 
Bodhi-tree  eighteen  persons1  from  royal  families  and  eight 

2  from  families  of  ministers,  and  moreover  eight  persons  from 
brahman  families  and   eight   from   families  of  traders   and 
persons    from   the  cowherds   likewise,  and  from  the  hyena 

3  and  sparrowhawk-clans,2  (from  each  one  man),  and  also  from 
the  weavers  and  potters  and  from  all  the  handicrafts,  from 

4  the  nagas  and  the  yakkhas;  when  then  the  most  exalted 
prince  had  given  them  eight  vessels  of  gold  and  eight  of 
silver,3  and  had  brought  the  great  Bodhi-tree  to  a  ship  on  the 

5  Ganges,  and  likewise   the   theri   Samghamitta  with   eleven 
bhikkhums,  and  when   he   had   caused  those  among  whom 

6  Arittha  was  first  to  embark  on  that  same  ship,  he  fared  forth 
from  the  city,  and  passing  over   the  Vinjha- mountains  the 
prince  arrived,  in  just  one  week,  at  Tamalittl.4 

7  The  gods  also  and  the  nagas  and  men  who  were  worshipping 
the  great  Bodhi-tree  with  the  most  splendid  offerings,  arrived 

8  in  just  one  week.     The  ruler  of  the  earth,  who  had  caused 
the  great  Bodhi-tree  to  be  placed  on  the  shore  of  the  great 

1  In  devakula  the  word  deva  is  evidently  to  be  taken  in  the 
sense  of  'king',  and  merely  as  a  synonym  of  khattiya.     Kula 
means  here,  as  below  in  30  and  31,  the  individual  belonging  to  a 
class  or  craft. 

2  Taraccha   (=  Skt.   taraksa)  'hyena',   and  kulinga   (=Skt. 
kulinga),  the  name  of  a  bird  of  prey,  the  'fork-tailed  shrike',  seem 
here  to  designate  certain  clans  or  crafts.     Perhaps  the  names  have 
a  totemistic  origin.     FRAZER,  Totemism,  p.  3  foil. 

3  To  water  the  tree  during  the  journey. 

4  The  king  travels  by  land  over  the  Vindhya  range  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Ganges.     Here  he  again  meets  the  ship  carrying  the  Bodhi-tree 
and  its  escort.     On  Tamalittl,  see  note  to  11.  38. 


xix.  20  The  Coming  of  the  Bodhi-tree  129 

ocean,  worshipped  it  once  more  by  (bestowing  upon  it)  the 
great  kingship. 

When  the  wish-fulfiller  had  consecrated  the  great  Bodhi-  9 
tree  as  a  great  monarch,  he  then,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
bright  half  of  the  month  Maggasira,1  commanded  that  the 
same  noble  persons,  eight  of  each  (of  the  families)  appointed  10 
at  the  foot  of  the  great  sala-tree  to  escort 2  the  great  Bodhi- 
tree,  should  raise  up  the  great  Bodhi-tree  ;  and,  descending  1 1 
there  into  the  water  till  it  reached  his  neck,  he  caused  it  to 
be  set  down  in  seemly  wise  on  the   ship.     When   he  had  12 
brought  the  great  then  with  the  (other)  theris  on   to   the 
ship  he  spoke  these  words  to  the  chief  minister  Maharittha : 
'  Three  times  have  I  worshipped   the   great  Bodhi-tree  by  1 3 
(bestowing)  kingship  (upon  it).     Even  so  shall  the  king  my 
friend  also  worship  it  by  (bestowing)  kingship  (upon  it)/ 

When  the  great  king  had  spoken  thus  he  stood  with  folded  14 
hands  on  the  shore,  and  as  he  gazed  after  the  vanishing  great 
Bodhi-tree  he  shed  tears.     '  Sending  forth  a  net  like  rays  of  15 
sunshine  the  great  Bodhi-tree  of  the  (Buddha)  gifted  with  the 
ten  powers  3  departs,  alas  !  from  hence  ! ' 

Filled  with  sorrow  at  parting  from  the  great  Bodhi-tree  16 
Dhammasoka  returned  weeping  and  lamenting  to  his  capital. 

The  ship,  laden  with  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  fared  forth  into  17 
the  sea.     A  yojana  around  the  waves  of  the  great  ocean  were 
stilled.    Lotus-flowers  of  the  five  colours  blossomed  all  around  1 8 
and  manifold  instruments  of  music  resounded  in  the  air. 

By  many  devatas  many  offerings  were  provided,  and  the  19 
nagas   practised   their  magic  to  win   the   great  Bodhi-tree. 
The  great  theri  Samghamitta,  who  had  reached  the  last  goal  20 
of  supernormal  powers,  taking  the  form  of  a  griffin  4  terrified 

1  See  note  to  1.  12. 

2  Uccaretum   mahabodhim   is  dependent  on    dinnehi.     Tho 
passage  is  related  directly  to  19.  1,  Mahabodhirakkhanattham 
datvana. 

3  Of.  note  to  3.  6. 

4  The  supanna   (Skt.  suparna)  or  garula  (Skt.  garuda)  are 
mythical  creatures  who  are  imagined  as  winged  and  are  always  con- 
sidered as  the  sworn  foes  of  the  nagas.     See  GRUNWEDEL,  Buddhist. 
Kunst  in  Indien,  p.  47  foil, 

K 


130  Mahavamsa  XIX.  2 1 

21  the  great  snakes.     Terrified,  the  great  snakes  betook  them  to 
the  great  theii  with  entreaties,  and  when  they  had  escorted 
the  great  Bodhi-tree  from  thence  to  the  realm  of  the  serpents 

22  and  had  worshipped  it  for  a  week  by  (bestowing  on  it)  the 
kingship  of  the  nagas  and  by  manifold  offerings  they  brought 

23  it  again  and  set  it  upon  the  ship.     And  on  that  same  day 
the  great  Bodhi-tree  arrived  here  l  at  Jambukola. 

King  Devanampiyatissa,  thoughtful  for  the  welfare  of  the 

24  world,  having  heard  before  from  the  samanera  Sumana  of  its 
arrival,  did,  from  the  first  day  of  the  month  Maggasira  on- 

25  wards,  being  always  full  of  zeal,  cause  the  whole  of  the  high- 
road from  the  north  gate  even  to  Jambukola  to  be  made 

26  ready,  awaiting  the    arrival   of   the   great   Bodhi-tree,  and 
abiding  on  the  sea-shore,  in  the  place  where  the  Samudda- 
pannasala  2  (afterwards)  was,  he,  by  the  wondrous  power  of 
the  then,  saw  the  great  Bodhi-tree  coming. 

27  The  hall  that  was  built  upon  that  spot  to  make  known  this 
miracle  was  known  here  by  the  name  Samuddapannasala. 

28  By  the  power  of  the  great  thera  and  together  with  the 
(other)  theras  the  king  came,  with  his  retinue,  on  that  same 
day  to  Jambukola.3 

29  Then,  uttering4  an  exulting  cry  moved  by  joyous  agitation 
at  the  coming  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  he,  the  splendid  (king), 

30  descended  even  neck-deep  into  the  water;  and  when  together 
with  sixteen  persons5  (of  noble  families)  he  had  taken  the 
great  Bodhi-tree  upon  his  head,  had  lifted  it  down  upon  the 

1  I.e.  in  Ceylon. 

2  I.e.  the  sea-hut. 

3  In  the  reading  of  the  text  accepted  by  the  Colombo  Editors 
tadahe  va  maharaja,   the  verb  is   missing  from  the  sentence. 
Only  the  text  of  the  Burmese  MSS.  tadahe  vagama  raja  yields  a 
correct  construction. 

4  Udanayam.    By  udana  is  understood  an  utterance,  mostly  in 
metrical  form,  inspired  by  a  particularly  intense  emotion,  whether 
it  be  joyous  or  sorrowful.     The  udana  of  Devanampiyatissa  in  the 
circumstances  described  was  according  to  the  Tlka:  agato  vata  re 
dasabalassa  saramsijalavisajjanako  bodhirukkho,  an  exact 
parallel  to  v.  15. 

8  Kulehi.     Cf.  on  this  note  to  19.  1. 


xix.  43  The  Coming  of  the  Bodhi-tree  131 

shore  and  caused  it  to  be  set  in  a  beautiful  pavilion,  the  king  31 
of  Lanka  worshipped  it  by  (bestowing  on  it)  the  kingship 
of  Lanka.     When  he  had  then  entrusted  his  own   govern- 
ment to  the  sixteen  persons  and  he  himself   had  taken  the  32 
duties   of   a   doorkeeper,  the   lord   of  men   forthwith   com- 
manded solemn  ceremonies  of  many  kinds  to  be  carried  out 
for  three  days. 

On  the  tenth  day  he  placed  the  great  Bodhi-tree  upon  33 
a  beautiful  car  and  he,  the  king  of  men,  accompanying  this, 
the  king  of  trees,  he  who  had  knowledge  of  the  (right)  places  34 
caused  it  to  be  placed  on  the  spot  where  the  Eastern  Monastery 
(afterwards)  was   and  commanded  a  morning  meal  for  the 
people  together  with  the  brotherhood.     Here  the  great  thera  35 
Mahinda  related  fully  to  the  king  the  subduing  of  the  nagas1 
which  had  been  achieved  by  the  (Buddha)  gifted  with  the 
ten  powers. 

When  the  monarch  heard  this  from  the  thera  he  caused  36 
monuments  to  be  raised  here  and  there  in  such  places  as  had 
been  frequented  by  the  Master  by  resting  there  or  in  other 
ways.     And,  moreover,  when  he  had  caused  the  great  Bodhi-  37 
tree  to  be  set  down  at  the  entrance  to  the  village  of  the 
brahman  Tivakka  and   in  this  and  that  place   besides,  he, 
(escorting  it)  on  the  road,  sprinkled  with  white  eand,  bestrewn  38 
with  various  flowers,  and  adorned  with  planted  pennons  and 
festoons  of  blossoms,  bringing  thereto  offerings  unweariedly,  39 
day  and  night,  brought  the  great  Bodhi-tree  on  the  fourteenth 
day  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  city  of  Anuradhapura,  and  40 
after,  at  the  time  when  the  shadows  increase,  he  had  entered 
the  city  worthily  adorned  by  the  north  gate  amid  offerings, 
and  (when  he  then),  leaving  the  city  again  by  the  south  gate,  41 
had   entered  the   Mahameghavanarama   consecrated   by  four 
Buddhas,2  and  here  had  brought  (the  tree)  to  the  spot  worthily  42 
prepared  by  Sumana's  command,  to  the  lovely  place  where 
the  former  Bodhi-trees  had  stood,  he,  with  those  sixteen  noble  43 

1  The  reference  is  to  the  second  visit  of  the  Buddha  to  Ceylon,  and 
the  events  related  in  Mah.  I.  44-70. 

2  The  comma  after  pavesiya  in  Mah.  ed.  v.  41b  should  be  struck 
out  and  placed  after  catubuddhanisevitam. 

K  2 


132  Maliavamsa  xix.  44 

persons,  who  were  wearing-  royal  ornaments,  lifted  down  the 
great  Bodhi-tree  and  loosed  his  hold  to  set  it  down. 

44  Hardly  had  he  let  it  leave  his  hands  but  it  rose  up  eighty 
cubits  into  the  air,  and  floating  thus  it  sent  forth  glorious 

45  rays  of  six  colours.      Spreading  over  the  island,  reaching  to 

46  the  Brahma- world,  these  lovely  rays  lasted  till  sunset.     Ten 
thousand  persons,  who  were  filled  with  faith  by  reason  of 
this  miracle,  gaining  the  spiritual  insight  and  attaining  to 
arahantship,  received  here  the  pabbajja. 

47  When  the  great  Bodhi-tree  at  sunset  was  come  down  from 
(its  place  in  the  air)  it  stood  firm  on  the  earth  under  the 

48  constellation  Rohim.     Then  did  the  earth  quake.     The  roots 
growing  over  the  brim  of  the  vase  struck  down  into  the  earth, 

49  closing  in  the  vase.     When  the  great  Bodhi-tree  had  taken 
its  place  all  the  people  who  had  come  together  from  (the 
country)  round,   worshipped  it  with  offerings   of   perfumes, 

50  flowers  and  so  forth.     A  tremendous  cloud  poured  forth  rain, 
and  cool  and  dense  mists  from  the  snow-region  surrounded 

51  the   great  Bodhi-tree   on  every   side.     Seven   days   did  the 
great  Bodhi-tree  abide  there,  awaking  faith  among  the  people 

52  invisible  in  the  region  of  the  snow.     At  the  end  of  the  week 
all   the   clouds  vanished   and    the   great   Bodhi-tree  became 
visible  and  the  rays  of  six  colours. 

53  The  great  thera  Mahinda  and  the  bhikkhun!  Samghamitta 
went  thither  with  their  following  and  the  king  also  with  his 

54  following.     The  nobles  of   Kajaragama1  and  the  nobles  of 
Candanagama  and  the  Brahman  Tivakka  and  the  people  too 

55  who  dwelt  in  the  island  came  thither  also  by  the  power  of  the 
gods,  (with  minds)  eagerly  set  upon  a  festival  of  the  great 
Bodhi-tree.     Amid  this  great  assembly,  plunged  into  amaze- 

56  ment  by  this  miracle,  there  grew  out  of  the  east  branch,  even 
as  they  gazed,  a  faultless  fruit. 

This  having  fallen  off  the  thera  took  it  up  and  gave  it 

57  to  the  king  to  plant.     In  a  golden  vase   filled  with  earth 
mingled    with    perfumes,    placed   on    the    spot    where    the 

1  Now  Kataragama  on  the  Menik-ganga,  about  ten  miles  north 
of  Tissamaharama  in  the  province  of  Rohana.  See  PARKER,  Ancient 
Ceylon,  p.  114  foil. 


xix.  68  The  Coming  of  the  Bodhi-tree  133 

Mahaasana  (afterwards)  was,  the  ruler  planted  it.     And  while  58 
they   all  yet   gazed,  there   grew,  springing  from    it,   eight 
shoots ;  and  they  stood  there,  young  Bodhi-trees  four  cubits 
high. 

When  the  king  saw  the  young  Bodhi-trees  he,  with  senses  59 
all  amazed,  worshipped  them  by  the  gift  of  a  white  parasol l 
and  bestowed  royal  consecration  on  them. 

Of  the  eight  Bodhi-saplings  one  was  planted  at  the  landing-  60 
place  Jambukola  on  the  spot  where  the  great  Bodhi-tree  had 
stood,    after   leaving   the   ship,    one    in    the   village   of   the  61 
Brahman  Tivakka,  one  moreover  in  the  Thuparama,  one  in 
the  Issarasamanarama,2  one  in  the  Court  of  the  First  thupa,3 
one  in  the  arama  of  the  Cetiya-mountain,  one  in  Kajara-  62 
gama  and  one  in  Candanagama.     But  the  other  thirty-two  63 
Bodhi-saplings  which  sprang4  from  four  (later)  fruits  (were 
planted)  in  a  circle,  at  a  distance  of  a  yojana,  here  and  there 
in  the  viharas. 

When  thus,  for  the  salvation  of  the  people  dwelling  in  the  64 
island,  by  the  majesty  of  the  Sammasambuddha,  the  king  of 
trees,  the   great   Bodhi-tree  was   planted,   Anula   with    her  65 
following  having  received  the  pabbajja  from  the  then  Sam- 
ghamitta,  attained  to  arahantship.     The  prince  Arittha  also,  66 
with   a   retinue  of   five  hundred   men,   having  received  the 
pabbajja  from  the  thera,  attained  to  arahantship.     The  eight  67 
(persons  from   the)    merchant-guilds  who    had  brought  the 
great  Bodhi-tree  hither  were  named  therefrom  the  '  Guild  of 
the  Bodhi-bearers '. 

In  the  nunnery,  which  is  known  as  the  Upasikavihara 5  68 

1  Setacchatta,  as  symbol  of  royal  rank. 

2  According  to  the  Rasavahim  (ed.  Saranatissatthera,  Colombo,  1901, 
1899),  ii.  8832,  situated  on  the  dam  of  the  Tissavapi,  now  Issurumu- 
nagala,  about  a  mile  south  of  the  Mahavihara  in  Anuradhapura. 

3  Pathamacetiya.     See  note  to  14.  45. 

4  This  is  to  be  taken  as  meaning  that  on  four  other  branches  of 
the  tree  the  same  miracle  was  accomplished  as  already  described. 
Thus  the  Tika  also  says:  pacinasakhato  avasesasu  ca  catusu 
sakhasu    gahitehi    itarehi    pakkaphalehi  jata,   sambhuta 
uppanna  ti  attho. 

6  Cf.  18. 12. 


134  Mahavamsa  XIX .  6  9 

the  great  then  Samghamitta  dwelt  with  her  company  (of 

69  nuns).     She  caused  twelve  buildings  to  be  erected  there,  of 
which  three  buildings  were  important  before  others ;  in  one 

70  of  these  great  buildings  she  caused  the  mast  of  the  ship  that 
had  come  with  the  great  Bodhi-tree  to  be  set  up,  in  one  the 
rudder,  and  in  one  the  helm,1  from  these  they  were  named. 

71  Also  when  other  sects2  arose  these  twelve   buildings  were 
always  used  by  the  Hatthalhaka-bhikkhums. 

72  The  king's  state- elephant  that  was  used  to  wander  about  at 

73  will3  liked  to  stay  on  one  side  of  the  city  in  a  cool  grotto,  on 
the  border  of  a  Kadamba-flower-thicket,  when  he  went  to  feed. 
Since  they  knew  that  this  place  was  pleasing  to  the  elephant 

74  they  put  up  a  post4  in  the  same  spot.     One  day  the  elephant 
would  not   take  the  fodder   (offered  to   him)  and  the  king 
questioned  the  thera  who  had  converted  the  island  as  to  the 

75  reason.     '  The  elephant  would  fain  have  a  thupa  built  in  the 

76  Kadamba-flower-thicket/  the  great  thera  told  the  great  king. 
Swiftly  did  the  king,  who  was  ever  intent  on  the  welfare  of 
his  people,  build  a  thupa,  with  a  relic,  in  that  very  place  and 
a  house  for  the  thupa.5 

77  The   great   then   Samghamitta,  who   longed  for   a   quiet 
dwelling-place,  because   of   the   too  great   crowding   of   the 

78  vihara  where  she  dwelt,  she  who  was  mindful  for  the  progress 
of  the  doctrine  and  the  good  of  the  bhikkhums,  the  wise  one 

79  who  desired  another  abode  for  the  bhikkhums  went  (once)  to 
the  fair  cetiya-house,  pleasant  by  its  remoteness,  and  there  she 

1  Kupayatthi,  piya,  aritta.    According  to  the  Tika  the  three 
agarani  bore  the  names  Culaganagara,  Mahaganagara  and  Siriva- 
ddhagara.  They  were  afterwards  designated  Kupayatthithapitaghara 
(Piyathapitaghara,  Arittathapitaghara),  '  House  where  the  mast  and 
so  forth  is  set  up.' 

2  The  Tika  names  as  an  example  the  sect  of  the  Dhammarucikas. 
Cf.  5.  13.' 

8  The  episode  is  to  explain  how  the  dwellers  in  the  Upasikavihara 
came  by  the  name  Hatthalhaka  (i.e.  'elephant-post-nuns1),  men- 
tioned by  the  poet  in  v.  71. 

4  Alhaka,  to  tether  the  elephant  during  the  night. 

6  Thupassa  gharam,  thupagharam,  or  cetiyagharam,  as  in 
v.  79,  82.  See  Appendix,  s.v.  thupa. 


xix.  85  The  Coming  of 'the  Bodhi-tree  135 

the  skilled  (in  choice)  of  dwelling-places,  the  blameless,  stayed 
the  day  through. 

When  the  king  came  to  the  convent  for  bhikkhunls  to  80 
salute  the  then,  he,  hearing  that  she  had  gone  thither,  went 
also  and  when  he  had  greeted  her  there  and  talked  with  her  gl 
and  had  heard  the  wish  that  was  the  cause   of  her  going 
thither,   then  did   he,  who  was  skilled  in   (perceiving)    the 
desires  (of  others),  the  wise,  the  great  monarch  Devanampiya-  82 
tissa,  order  to  be  erected  a  pleasing  convent  for  the  bhik- 
khunls round  about  the  thupa-house.     Since  the  convent  for  83 
the  bhikkhunls  was  built  near  to  the  elephant-post  therefore 
was  it  known  by  the  name  Hatthalhaka-vihara. 

The  well-beloved,   the  great  therl  Samghamitta  of  lofty  34 
wisdom  now  took  up  her  abode  in  this  pleasing  convent  for 
bhikkhunls. 

Bringing  about  in  such  wise  the  good  of  the  dwellers  in  85 
Lanka,  the  progress  of  the  doctrine,  the  king  of  trees,  the 
great  Bodhi-tree,  lasted  long  time  on  the  island  of  Lanka, 
in    the    pleasant    Mahamegha-grove,    endowed    with    many 
wondrous  powers. 

Here  ends  the  nineteenth  chapter,  called  e  The  Coming  of 
the  Bodhi-tree',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene 
joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 


CHAPTEE  XX 

THE  NIBBANA  OF  THE  THERA 

1  IN  the  eighteenth  year  (of  the  reign)  of  king  Dhammasoka, 
the  great  Bodhi-tree  was  planted  in  the  Mahameghavanarama. 

2  In  the  twelfth  year  afterwards  died  the  dear  consort  of  the 
king,  Asamdhimitta,  the  faithful  (believer)  in  the  Sambuddha. 

3  In  the  fourth  year  after  this  the  ruler  of  the  earth  Dhamma- 
soka  raised  the  treacherous  Tissarakkha  to  the  rank  of  queen. 

4  In  the  third  year  thereafter  this  fool,  in  the  pride  of  her 
beauty,   with   the   thought :    c  Forsooth,  the  king   worships 

5  the  great  Bodhi-tree  to  my  cost ! '  drawn  into  the  power  of 
hate  and  working  her  own  harm,  caused  the  great  Bodhi-tree 

6  to  perish  by  means  of  a  mandu- thorn.1     In  the  fourth  year 
after  did  Dhammasoka  of  high  renown  fall  into  the  power  of 
mortality.     These  make  up  thirty-seven  years. 

7  But  when  king  Devanampiyatissa,  whose  delight  was  in 
the  blessing  of  the  true  doctrine,  had  brought  to  completion 

8  in  seemly  wise  his  undertakings  in  the  Mahavihara,  on  the 
Cetiya-mountain  and  also  in  the  Thuparama,  he  asked  this 
question  of  the  thera  who  had  converted  the  island,  who  was 

9  skilled  in  (answering)  questions :    'Sir,  I  would  fain  found 
many  viharas  here;  whence  shall  I  get  me  the  relics  to  place 
in  the  thupas  ? ' 

1 0  '  There  are  the  relics  brought  hither  by  Sumana,  with  which 
he  filled  the  bowl  of  the  Sambuddha  and  which  were  placed 

1 1  here  on  the  Cetiya-mountain,  O  king.    Have  these  relics  placed 
on  the  back  of  an  elephant  and  brought  hither/   Thus  addressed 

12  by  the  thera  he  brought  thus  the  relics  hither.     Founding 
viharas  a  yojana  distant  from  one  another  he  caused  the  relics 

1  In  the  Dadhivahana-jataka  (FAUSBOLL,  Jcitaka,  ii,  p.  1051)  is 
related  how  the  kernel  of  a  mango-fruit  is  deprived  of  its  germinating 
power  by  being  pierced  with  a  mandu-thorn. 


MAP  OF  ANURADHAPURA 


Manisomarama 


O 


Kolambahalaka 


Abhayagiri-vihara 
Jetavana-Dag. 

iern       IVa// 


nSilasqbbhakandaka 

Lafikarama-Ddg. 


Maricavattivihara 
Mirisw&ti-Dag. 


Issarasamana 

vihara 


^uthern     W*« 
OThuparama 


or 
vana 


Mahathur. 

Rutvanwceli-Dag 


0  ^a- 
dLohapasada 

hMahavihara 
^  Sacred  Bodhi  t 
vana 

ODakkhina-vih 
f/jro  TbmA 


Ancient  Names=  Mahathupa 
Modern  Names  =  Ruwan  woeli 


XX.  22  The  Nibbana  of  the  Them  137 

to  be  placed  there  in  the  thupas,  in  due  order.     But  the  bowl  13 
that  the  Sambuddha  had  used  the  king  kept  in  his  beautiful 
palace  and  worshipped  continually  with  manifold  offerings. 

The  (vihara  that  was  built)   in  the  place  where  the  five  14 
hundred  nobles  dwelt  when  they  had  received  the  pabbajja 
from  the  great  thera,1  was  (named)  Issarasamanaka.2     That  15 
(vihara  that  was  built)   where  five  hundred  vessas3  dwelt, 
when  they  had  received  the  pabbajja  from  the  great  thera, 
was  (called)  in  like  manner  Vessagiri.     But  as  for  the  grotto  16 
inhabited  by  the  great  thera  Mahinda,  in  the  vihara  built 
upon  the  mountain,4  it  was  called  the '  Mahinda-grotto '. 

First  the  Mahavihara,5  then  the  (monastery)  named  Cetiya-  17 
vihara,  third  the   beautiful   Thuparama,6  which    the   thupa 
(itself)  preceded,  fourth  the  planting  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  18 
then  fifth  the  (setting  up)  in  seemly  wise  (of  the)  beautiful 
stone  pillar  which  was  intended  to  point  to  the  place  of  the 
thupa,  on  the  place  where  the  Great  cetiya  (afterwards)  was,  19 
and   also   the   enshrining   of    the    Sambuddha's   collar-bone 
relic,7   sixth   the   Issarasamana  (vihara),  seventh   the   Tissa-  20 
tank,  eighth  the  Pathamathupa,8  ninth  the  (vihara)  called 
Vessa(giri),  then  that  pleasant  (nunnery)  which  was  known  21 
as  the  Upasika(vihara)  and  the  (vihara)  called  the  Hatthal- 
haka,  those  two  convents  as  goodly  dwellings  for  the  bhik- 
khums;  and  (furthermore)  for  the  accepting  of  food  by  the  22 

1  Cf.  for  this,  19. 66.  2  See  note  to  19.  61. 

3  I.e.  people  of  the  third  caste  (Skt.  vaisya).   The  Vessagiri-vihara 
is  situated  near  Anuradhapura,  south  of  Issarasamanaka- vihara,  Arch. 
Surv.  of  Ceylon,  Annual  Rep.  1906  (xx.  1910),  pp.  8-10;  E.  MULLER, 
Ancient  Inscriptions  of  Ceylon,  pp.  32,  33 ;  WICKREMASINGHE,  Epi- 
grapTiia  Zeylanica,  i,  p.  10  foil. 

4  I.  e.  in  Cetiyapabbata-vihara  on  Mihintale.   I  would  now  prefer  to 
take  the  words  sapabbate  vihare  ('in  the  monastery,  which,  or 
the  name  of  which  was  connected  with  the  mountain ')  as  belonging 
to  the  relative  clause  y  a  ya  &c.,  and  to  place  the  comma  here  instead 
of  after  guha. 

5  Cf.  note  to  15.  214. 

6  See  17.  62-64. 

7  On  this  passage  cf.  Mah.  ed.,  pp.  xxix,  xxx.     On  the  givadhatu 
see  1.  37  foil.,  on  the  silayupa  15.  173. 

8  See  note  on  14.  45. 


138  Maliavamsa  XX.  23 

brotherhood  of  bhikkhus  when  they  were  visiting-  the  dwell- 

23  ing   of   the   bhikkhums    (called)    Hatthalhaka(vihara),1    the 
refectory  called  Mahapali,  easy  of  approach,  beautiful,  stored 

24  with  all  provisions  and  provided  with  service ;  then  lavish 
gifts,    consisting   of    the    needful   utensils   for   a    thousand 
bhikkhus,  (which  things  he  gave)  on  the  pavarana-day,  every 

25  year;    in   Nagadipa   the  Jambukolavihara   at   this   landing 

26  place,2  the  Tissamahavihara 3  and  the  Pacmarama4:    these 
works,   caring   for   the   salvation   of   the   people  of  Lanka, 
Devanampiyatissa,  king  of  Lafika,  rich  in  merit  and  insight, 

27  caused  to  be  carried  out,  even  in  his  first  year,  as  a  friend  to 
virtue,  and  his  whole  life  through  he  heaped  up  works  of 

28  merit.     Our  island  flourished  under  the  lordship  of  this  king; 
forty  years  did  he  hold  sway  as  king. 

29  After  his  death,  his  younger  brother  since  there  was  no 
son,  the  prince  known  by  the  name  UTTIYA,  held  sway  piously 

30  as  king.     But  the  great  thera,  Mahinda,  who  had  taught  the 
peerless   doctrine   of   the   Master,  the   sacred   writings,  the 

31  precepts  of   righteousness   and   the   higher   perfection,6  full 

1  The  instrumental  bhikkhusamghena  belongs  to  the  verbal 
noun  gahanam.     Subordinate  to  this  noun  are  the  parallel  gerunds 
osaritva  and  gantvana,  the  last  being  almost  a  pleonasm.    On 
this  subject  the  Tika  remarks  that  at  that  time  the  monks  in  order  to 
receive  food  went  in  order  of  seniority  to  the  Hatthalhaka-convent. 
The  new  hall  was  built  by  Devanampiyatissa  for  this  purpose,  i.  e.  as 
refectory  for  the  bhikkhus,  separate  from  the  nunnery. 

2  On  Nagadipa  (note  to  1.  47)  as  the  name  of  a  district  of  Ceylon 
see  35.  124;  36.  9.     On  Jambukola,  11.  23,  38;  18.  7,  &c. 

3  In  south  Ceylon,  situated  NE.  of  Hambantota. 

*  I.e.  '  East  Monastery  in  Anuradhapura.'     Cf.  19.  34. 

8  Pariyattim  patipattim  pativedham  ca.  According  to 
the  Tika  pariyatti  is  a  synonym  of  tipitaka,  while  patipatti 
represents  the  contents  of  the  doctrines  of  the  sacred  scripture, 
namely,  the  way  leading  to  deliverance  as  pointed  out  by  the 
precepts  of  morality  (Tika:  pariyattisasanassa  atthabhuto  sila- 
dikhandhattayasahito  nibbanagamirnaggo).  By  pa^ivedha 
(literally  '  attainment ')  are  meant  the  nine  transcendental  conditions 
(the  lokuttaradhamma)  which  result  from  the  observance  of  the 
patipatti  (Tika:  patipattisasanassa  phalabhuto  navavidha- 
lokuttaradhammo).  Those  nine  conditions  of  perfection  are  the 


XX.  42  The  Nilbdna  of  the  Them  1 39 

excellently  in  the  island  of  Lanka,  (Mahinda)  the  light  of 
Lanka,  the  teacher  of  many  disciples,  he  who,  like  unto  the 
Master,  had  wrought  great  blessing  for  the  people,  did,  in  32 
the  eighth  year  of  king  Uttiya,  while  he,  being  sixty  years 
old,1  was  spending  the  rain  season  on  the  Cetiya- mountain, 
pass,  victorious  over  his  senses,  into  nibbana,  on  the  eighth  33 
day  of  the  bright  half  of  the  month  Assayuja.     Therefore 
this  day  received  his  name. 

When  king  Uttiya  heard  this  he  went  thither,  stricken  by  34 
the  dart  of  sorrow,  and  when  he  had  paid  homage  to  the 
thera  and  oft  and  greatly  had  lamented  (over  him)  he  caused  the  35 
dead  body  of  the  thera  to  be  laid  forthwith  in  a  golden  chest 
sprinkled  with  fragrant  oil,  and  the  well  closed2  chest  to  be  36 
laid  upon  a  golden,  adorned  bier ;  and  when  he  had  caused  it 
then  to  be  lifted  upon  the  bier,  commanding  solemn  cere- 
monies, he  caused  it  to  be  escorted  by  a  great  multitude  of  37 
people,3  that  had  come  together  from  this  place  and  that,  and 
by  a  great  levy  of  troops;    commanding  due  offerings  (he  38 
caused  it  to  be  escorted)  on  the  adorned  street  to  the  variously 
adorned  capital  and  brought  through  the  city  in  procession  by 
the  royal  highway  to  the  Mahavihara.  39 

When  the  monarch  had  caused  the  bier  to  be  placed  here 
for  a  week  in  the  Panhambamalaka — with  triumphal  arches,  40 
pennons,  and  flowers,  and  with  vases  filled  with  perfumes  the 
vihara  was  adorned  and  a  circle  of  three  yojanas  around,  by  41 
the  king's  decree,  but  the  whole  island  was  adorned  in  like 
manner  by  the  decree  of  the  devas — and  when  the  monarch  42 
had  commanded  divers  offerings  throughout  the  week  he  built 

four  magga  'paths'  or  stages  of  holiness,  with  the  corresponding 
four  phalani  '  results,  effects  ',  besides  nibbana  as  the  ninth.  It  is, 
therefore,  said  that  Mahinda  had  proclaimed  the  Buddha's  doctrine 
and  the  holiness  resulting  therefrom. 

1  Reckoned   from   upasampada-ordination   onwards.     Notice   the 
play  on  words  in  vassam  satthivasso  vasam  vasl. 

2  Sadhu    phussitam.      Cf.    Jat.    vi.    51 010 :    nivase    phussi- 
taggale  'in  a  safe-bolted  dwelling  '. 

3  I  refer  janoghena  and  baloghena  to  anayitvana  in  38  c, 
not  to  karento   pujanavidhim.     This  should  rather  stand  quite 
independently,  as  does  karento  sadhukllanam  in  36  d. 


140  Mahavamsa  XX.  43 

up,  turned  toward  the  east  in  the  Theranambandhamalaka, 

43  a  funeral  pyre  of  sweet  smelling  wood,  leaving  the  (place  of 
the  later)  Great  thupa  on  the  right,  and  when  he  had  brought 

44  the  beautiful  bier  thither  and  caused  it  to  be  set  upon  the 
pyre  he  carried  out  the  rites  of  the  dead.1 

And  here  did  he  build  a  cetiya  when  he  had  caused  the 

45  relics  to  be  gathered  together.     Taking  the  half  of  the  relics 
the  monarch  caused  thupas  to  be  built  on  the  Cetiya-mountain 

46  and  in  all  the  viharas.     The  place  where  the  burial  of  this 
sage's   body  had  taken  place  is  called,  to  do  him  honour, 
Isibhumahgana.2 

47  From   that  time  onwards   they  used  to   bring    the    dead 
bodies  of  holy  men  from  three  yojanas  around  to  this  spot 
and  there  to  burn  them. 

48  When  the  great  then  Samghamitta,  gifted  with  the  great 
supernormal  powers  and  with  great  wisdom  had  fulfilled  the 
duties  of  the  doctrine  and  had  brought  much  blessing  to  the 

49  people,  she,  being  fifty-nine  years  old,  in  the  ninth  year  of 
this   same   king   Uttiya,   while   she   dwelt   in   the   peaceful 

50  Hatthalhaka-convent,  passed  into  nibbana.     And  for  her  also, 
as  for  the  thera,  the  king  commanded  supreme  honours  of 

5 1  burial  a  week  through,  and  the  whole  of  Lanka  was  adorned 
as  for  the  thera. 

The  body  of  the  then  laid  upon  a  bier  did  he  cause  to  be 

52  brought  when  the  week  was  gone  by,  out  of  the  city;  and  to 
the  east  of   the  Thuparama,   near  the    Cittasala3  (of  later 

53  times)  in  sight  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  on  the  spot  pointed 
out  by  the  then  (herself),  he  caused  the  burning  to  take 
place.     And  the  most  wise  Uttiya  also  had  a  thupa  built 
there. 

54  The  five  great  theras  also,4  and  those  theras  too  of  whom 
Arittha  was  the  leader,  and  many  thousand  bhikkhus  who 

55  were  freed  from  the  asavas,  and  also  the  twelve  theris  among 
whom  Samghamitta  stood  highest,  and  many  thousand  bhik- 

1  Sakkaram  antimam  'the  last  honours'. 

2  I.e.  'Courtyard  of  the  sage.'  8  I.e.  '  Many-coloured  hall.' 

4  Those  who  had  come  to  Ceylon  with  Mahinda.    For  the  following 
cf.  19.  66  and  19.  5. 


xx.  58  The  Nibbana  of  the  Them  141 

khums  who  were  freed  from  the  asavas,  who,  endowed  with  56 
great   learning-   and   deep   insight  had  expounded   the  holy 
scripture  of  the  Conqueror,  the  vinaya  and  the  rest,  fell,  in 
time,  into  the  power  of  mortality. 

Ten  years  did  king  Uttiya  reign;    thus  is  mortality  the  57 
destroyer  of  the  whole  world. 

A  man  who,  although  he  knows  this  overmastering,  over-  58 
whelming,  irresistible  mortality,  yet  is  not  discontented  with 
the  world  of  existence  and  does  not  feel,  in  this  discontent, 
resentment  at  wrong  nor  joy  in  virtue — that  is  the  strength 
of  the  fetters  of  his  evil  delusion  ! — such  an  one  is  knowingly 
fooled.1 

Here  ends  the  twentieth  chapter,  called  ( The  Nibbana  of 
the  Thera ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  Wijesinha  gives  a  wrong  sense  to  the  clause  in  taking  it  as  a 
question.  The  verbs  nibbindate  and  kurute  belong  to  the  rela- 
tive sentence.  The  governing  clause  is  janam  pi  (so)  sammuyhati. 
The  words  t  asses  a  atimohajalabalata  are  only  intelligible  as  a 
parenthesis. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  FIVE  KINGS 

1  UTTIYA'S  younger  brother,  MAHASIVA,  reigned  after  his 

2  death  ten  years,  protecting  the  pious.     Being  devoted  to  the 
thera  Bhaddasala,  he  huilt  the  noble  vihara,  Nagarahgana,  in 
the  eastern  quarter  (of  the  city). 

3  Mahasiva's  younger  brother,  SURATISSA,  reigned  after  his 

4  death  ten  years,  zealously  mindful  of  meritorious  works.     In 
the  southern  quarter  (of  the  city)  he  founded 1  the  Nagarah- 
gana-vihara,  in  the  eastern  quarter  the  vihara  (called)  Hat- 

5  thikkhandha  and  the  Gonnagirika(vihara) ;  on  the  Vangut- 
tara -mountain   the  (vihara)  named  Pacinapabbata  and  near 

6  Raheraka   the    (vihara)   Kolambahalaka ; 2     at   the    foot   of 
the   Arittha(mountain)  the  Makulaka(vihara),  to  the   east 3 
the  Acchagallaka(vihara),  but  the   Girinelavahanaka(vihara) 

7  to    the   north   of   Kandanagara;    these   and   other   pleasing 
viharas,  in  number  five  hundred,  did  the  lord  of  the  earth 
build  on  this  and  the  further  bank  of  the  river,4  here  and 

8  there  in  the  island  of  Lanka,  before  and  while  he  reigned, 
during  the  period  of  sixty  years,  piously  and  justly,5  devoted 

9  to  the  three  gems.6     Suvannapindatissa  was  his  name  before 
his  reign,  but  he  was  named  Suratissa  after  the  beginning 
of  the  reign. 

10       Two  Damilas,  SENA  and  GUTTAKA,  sons  of  a  freighter  who 

1  The  verb  on  which  the  accusatives  in  v.  4  foil,  depend  is  kare  si  in  8. 

2  See  note  to  25.  80. 

3  According    to    the    Tika    to    the  east    of  Anuradhapura    near 
Dahegallaka. 

4  I.  e.  the  Mahawseliganga. 

6  Sadhukam,  i.e.  according  to  pious  aims,  dhammena  without 
oppressing  the  people. 
«  See  notes  to  1.  62;  12.28. 


xxi.  20  The  Five  Kings  143 

brought  horses  hither/  conquered  the  king  Suratissa,  at  the  11 
head  of  a  great  army  and  reigned  both  (together)  twenty-two  2 
years  justly.     But  when  ASELA  had  overpowered  them,  the 
son  of  Mutasiva,  the  ninth  among  his  brothers,  born  of  the  12 
same  mother,3  he  ruled  for  ten  years  onward  from  that  time 
in  Anuradhapura. 

A  Damila  of  noble  descent,  named  ELARA,  who  came  hither  1 3 
from  the  Cola-country  4  to  seize  on  the  kingdom,  ruled  when 
he  had  overpowered  king  Asela,  forty-four  years,  with  even  14 
justice    toward    friend   and    foe,    on   occasions   of    disputes 
at  law. 

At  the  head  of  his  bed  he  had  a  bell  hung  up  with  a  long  15 
rope  so  that  those  who  desired  a  judgement  at  law  mig-ht 
ring  it.      The  king  had  only  one  son   and   one   daughter.  16 
When  once  the  son  of  the  ruler  was  going  in  a  car  to  the 
Tissa-tank,  he  killed  unintentionally  a  young  calf  lying  on  17 
the  road  with  the  mother  cow,  by  driving  the  wheel  over  its 
neck.     The  cow  came  and  dragged  at  the  bell  in  bitterness  18 
of  heart ; 5  and  the  king  caused  his  son's  head  to  be  severed 
(from  his  body)  with  that  same  wheel. 

A  snake  had  devoured  the  young  of  a  bird  upon  a  palm-  19 
tree.     The  hen-bird,  mother  of  the   young  one,  came   and 
rang  the  bell.     The  king  caused  the  snake  to  be  brought  to  20 
him,  and  when  its  body  had  been  cut  open  and  the  young 
bird  taken  out  of  it  he  caused  it  to  be  hung  up  upon  the 
tree. 

1  This  is  perhaps  the  meaning  of  assanavika  (lit.  'horse-seafarer*). 
The  Sinh.  Thupavamsa has  as-nceviyakuge  putvu;  the  Pujavaliya : 
Lak-diva-ta  asun  gena  asvacari-de-bae-kenek;  the  Rajavaliya: 
Lak-diva-ta  asun  gena  asuru-de-bie-kenek. 

2  Following  the  reading  duve  dvavisavassani.     See  the  Intro- 
duction, §  8. 

3  Asela's  eight  brothers  are  enumerated  in  the  Tika.    They  are 
named    Abhaya,    Devanampiyatissa,    Uttiya,   Mahasiva,    Mahanaga, 
Mattabhaya,  Suratissa,  and  Kira. 

4  Southern  India. 

5  Lit.    'With   embittered  heart.'      Note    the   play   on  words    in 
ghattesi  ghattitasaya.    The  Tika  paraphrases  the  last  word: 
puttasokena  kupitacitta. 


144  Mahavamsa  xxi.  2 1 

21  When  the  king,  who  was  a  protector  of  tradition,  albeit 
he  knew  not  the  peerless  virtues  of  the  most  precious  of  the 

22  three  gems,1  was  going   (once)  to   the  Cetiya-mountain  to 
invite  the  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus,  he  caused,  as  he  arrived 

23  upon  a  car,  with  the  point  of  the  yoke  on  the  waggon,  an 
injury  to  the  thupa  of  the  Conqueror  at  a  (certain)  spot.     The 
ministers  said  to  him  :  '  King,  the  thupa  has  been  injured  by 

24  thee/     Though  this  had  come  to  pass  without  his  intending 
it,  yet  the  king  leaped  from  his  car  and  flung  himself  down 
upon  the  road  with  the  words :    '  Sever  my  head  also  (from 

25  the  trunk)  with  the  wheel/     They  answered  him :  '  Injury  to 
another  does  our  Master  in  no  wise  allow ;   make  thy  peace 

26  (with  the  bhikkhus)  by  restoring  the  thupa  '  •  and  in  order  to 
place  (anew)  the  fifteen  stones  that  had  been  broken  off  he 
spent  just  fifteen  thousand  kahapanas.2 

27  An  old  woman  had  spread  out  some  rice  to  dry  it  in  the 
sun.    The  heavens,  pouring  down  rain  at  an  unwonted  season, 

28  made  her  rice  damp.    She  took  the  rice  and  went  and  dragged 
at  the  bell.     When  he  heard  about  the  rain  at  an  unwonted 

29  season  he  dismissed  the  woman,  and  in  order  to  decide  her 
cause  he  underwent  a  fast,  thinking  :    '  A  king  who  observes 

30  justice   surely  obtains  rain  in   due  season.'     The   guardian 
genius  who  received  offerings  from  him,  overpowered  by  the 
fiery  heat  of  (the  penances  of)  the  king,  went  and  told  the 

31  four  great   kings3  of  this  (matter).     They  took  him  with 
them  and  went  and  told  Sakka.    Sakka  summoned  Paj junna  4 

32  and  charged  him  (to  send)  rain  in  due  season.     The  guardian 
genius  who  received  his  offerings  told  the  king.    From  thence- 
forth the  heavens  rained  no  more  during  the  day  throughout 

33  his  realm ;  only  by  night  did  the  heavens  give  rain  once  every 

1  Cf.  the  note  to  21.  8.     By  ratanaggassa  is  meant  the  Buddha, 
with  whom  the  doctrine  of  the  ratanattaya  originates. 

2  Cf.  note  to  4.  13. 

3  These  are  the  four  guardians  of  the  world,  the  lokapala  who 
usually  appear  near  Indra  in  the  brahmanic  pantheon  :  Dhatarattha, 
Virulhaka,  Virupakkha,  and  Vessavana,  rulers,  in  the  above  order,  of 
the  east,  south,  west,  and  north. 

4  Skt.  Parjanya,  the  god  of  rain. 


xxi.  34  Tlie,  Five  Kings  145 

week,  in  the  middle  watch  of  the  night ;  and  even  the  little 
cisterns  everywhere  were  full  (of  water). 

Only  because  he  freed  himself  from  the  guilt  of  walking  34 
in  the  path  of  evil  did  this  (monarch),  though  he  had  not 
put  aside  false  beliefs,  gain  such  miraculous  power;  how 
should  not  then  an  understanding  man,  established  in  pure 
belief,  renounce  here  the  guilt  of  walking  in  the  path  of 
evil  ? 

Here  ends  the  twenty-first  chapter,  called  '  The  Five  Kings', 
in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion 
of  the  pious. 


CHAPTEE  XXII 

THE  BIRTH  OF  PRINCE  GAMANI 

1  WHEN  he  had  slain  Elara,  DUTTHAGAMANI  became  king. 
To  show  clearly  how  this  came  to  pass  the  story  in  due  order 
(of  events)  is  this l  : 

2  King  Devanampiyatissa's  second  brother,  the  vice-regent 

3  named  Mahanaga,  was  dear  to  his  brother.    The  king's  consort, 
that  foolish  woman,  coveted  the  kingship  for  her  own  son  and 

4  ever  nursed  the  wish  to  slay  the  vice-regent,  and  while  he 
was  making  the  tank  called  Taraccha  she  sent  him  a  mango- 
fruit  which  she  had   poisoned   and   laid   uppermost   among 

5  (other)  mango-fruits.     Her  little  son  who  had  gone  with  the 
vice-regent,   ate   the   mango-fruit,  when  the   dish  was   un- 

6  covered,  and  died  therefrom.    Upon  this  the  vice-regent,  with 
his  wives,  men  and  horses,  went,  to  save  his  life,  to  Rohana.2 

7  In  the  Yatthalaya-vihara 3  his  wife,  who  was  with  child, 

8  bore  a  son.     He  gave  him  his  brother's  name.4     Afterwards 
he  came  to  Rohana  and  as  ruler  over  the  whole  of  Rohana  the 

9  wealthy   prince   reigned   in    Mahagama.5     He   founded    the 

1  On  the  insertion  of  the  Dutthagamani  epic  see  Dip.  and  Mah., 
p.  20  (English  ed.).     In  the  Nidanakatha  (Jat.  i.  503)  the  story  of 
the  dream  of  Maya  before  the  birth  of  the  Buddha  is  inserted  with 
almost  the  same  introducing  words.     See  WINDISCH,  Buddha's  Geburt 
und  die  Lehre  von  der  Seelemcanderung,  p.  156. 

2  The  south  and  south-east  part  of  the  island. 

3  There  is  certainly  better  authority  for  the  form  Y  at  thai  ay  a. 
However  Y  at  thai  ay  a  gives  an  appropriate  meaning  to  the  name: 
'dwelling  or  temple  of  the  sacrificer'.    (Skt.  yastar,  p.  yatthar  and 
Skt.  P.  alaya.)     Tradition  seems  to  identify  the  monastery  with  the 
Yatagala-vihara  to  the  NE.  of  Point  de  Galle.     The  Ceylon  National 
Review,  iii,  p.  110. 

4  He  was  named  (after  his  birthplace  and  Devanampiyatissa)  Yattha- 
layakatissa. 

6  NE.  of  Hambantota  near  the  place  where  the  ruins    of   the 


xxir.  22          The  Birth  of  Prince  Gamani  147 

Nagamahavihara l  that  bore  his  name ;  he  founded  also  many 
(other)  vih&raSj  as  the  Uddhakandaraka  (vihara)  and  so  forth. 

His  son  Yatthalayakatissa  reigned  after  his  death  in  that  10 
same  place,  and  in  like  manner  also  Abhaya,  son  of   this 
(last). 

Gothabhaya's  son,  known   by  the  name   Kakavannatissa,  11 
the  prince,  reigned  there  after  his  death.     Viharadevi  was  12 
the  consort  of  this  believing  king,  firm  in  the  faith  (was  she), 
the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Kalyam.2 

Now  in  Kalyam  the  ruler  was  the  king  named  Tissa.     His  13 
younger  brother  named  Ayya-Uttika,  who  had  roused  the 
wrath  (of  Tissa)  in  that  he  was  the  guilty  lover  of  the  queen, 
fled  thence  from  fear  and  took  up  his  abode  elsewhere.     The  14 
district  was  named  after  him.     He  sent  a  man  wearing  the  15 
disguise  of  a  bhikkhu,  with  a  secret  letter  to  the  queen.    This 
man  went  thither,  took  his  stand  at  the  king's  door  and  16 
entered  the  king's  house  with  an  arahant  who  always  used  to 
take  his  meal  at  the  palace,  unnoticed  by  that  thera.     When  17 
he  had  eaten  in  company  with  the  thera,  as  the  king  was 
going  forth,3  he  let  the  letter  fall  to  the  ground  when  the 
queen  was  looking. 

The  king  turned  at  the  (rustling)   sound,  and  when  he  18 
looked  down  and  discovered  the  written  message  he  raged, 
unthinking,  against  the  thera,  and  in  his  fury  he  caused  the  1 9 
thera   and  the  man  to  be  slain  and  thrown  into  the  sea. 
Wroth  at  this  the  sea-gods  made  the  sea  overflow  the  land;  20 
but  the  king  with  all  speed  caused  his  pious  and  beautiful 
daughter  named  Devi  to  be  placed  in  a  golden  vessel,  whereon  2 1 
was  written  'a  king's  daughter',  and  to  be  launched  upon 
that  same  sea.     When  she  had  landed  near  to  (the)  Lanka  22 

Tissamaharama  lie  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Magama-river.     The  village 
ut  the  mouth  of  the  river  still  bears  the  name  Magama. 

1  The  Mahanaga-dagaba  still  exists  in  the   ruins  of  Mahagama. 
See  PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  324. 
*  See  note  to  i.  63. 

.*  Or  'as  she  (i.e.  the  queen)  was  going  forth  with  the  king\ 
accoiding  to  the  reading  ranna  saha  viniggame  of  the  Burmese 
MSS. ;  the  Tika  seems  also  to  agree  with  this. 

L2 


148  Maliavamsa  XXII.  23 

(vihara)    the    king    Kakavanna    consecrated    her    as    queen. 
Therefore  she  received  the  epithet  Vihara. 

23  When  he  had  founded  the  Tissamaha vihara  l  and  the  Citta- 
lapabbata  (vihara) 2  and  also  the   Gamitthavali  and   Kutali 

24  (vihara)  and  so  forth,  devoutly  believing  in  the  three  gems, 
he  provided  the  brotherhood  continually  with  the  four  needful 
things.3 

25  In  the  monastery  named  Kotapabbata  there  lived  at  that 
time  a  samanera,  pious  in  his  way  of  life,  who  was  ever  busied 
with  various  works  of  merit. 

26  To  mount  the  more  easily  to  the  courtyard  of  the  Akasa- 

27  cetiya4  he  fixed  three  slabs  of  stone  as  steps.     He  gave  (the 
bhikkhus)  to  drink  and  did  services  to  the  brotherhood.   Since 
his  body  was  continually  wearied  a  grievous  sickness  came 

28  upon   him.     The   grateful    bhikkhus,   who   brought  him  in 
a  litter,  tended  him  at  the  Tissarama,  in  the  Silapassaya- 
parivena. 

29  Always   when    the   self-controlled   Viharadevi   had   given 
lavish  gifts  to  the   brotherhood  in  the  beautifully  prepared 

30  royal  palace,  before  the  mid-day  meal,  she  was  used  to  take, 
after  the  meal,  sweet  perfumes,  flowers,  medicines  and  clothing 
and  go  to  the  arama  and  offer  these  (to  the  bhikkhus)  according 
to  their  dignity. 

31  Now  doing  thus,  at  that  time,  she  took  her  seat  near  the 
chief  thera  of  the  community  (in  the  vihara)  and  when  ex- 

32  pounding  the  true  doctrine  the  thera  spoke  thus  to  her :  '  Thy 


1  Cf.  above  the  note  to  v.  8. 

2  The  ruins  of  the  Cittalapabbata,  or,  in  the  later  form,  Situlpaw- 
vihara  lie  15  miles  NE.  of  the  Tissamaharama  near  Katagamuwa. 
See  A.  JAYAWARDANA  in  The  Ceylon  National  Review,  ii,  p.  23 ;  ED. 
MULLER,  Ancient  Inscriptions  in  Ceylon,  p.  29.    The   monastery  is 
mentioned  once  again  in  35.  81,  and  in  the  Culavamsa  45.  59  under 
king  Dathopatissa  II,  the  first  half  of  the  seventh  century  A.D. 

8  See  note  to  3.  14. 

4  I.e.  the  '  Air-cetiya ',  which  is  still  shown,  not  far  from  the 
Cittalapabbata-monasteiy.  It  is  so  named  because  it  is  situated  on 
the  summit  of  a  rock.  Cf.  Ceylon  National  Review,  ii;  p.  24.  See 
also  note  to  33.  68. 


XXIT.  44          The  Birth  of  Prince  Gdmani  149 

great  happiness  thou  hast  attained  by  works  of  merit ;  even 
now  must   thou    not   grow  weary  of   performing  works   of 
merit.'     But  she,  being  thus  exhorted,  replied  :  'What  is  our  33 
happiness  here,  since  we  have  no  children  ?    Lo,  our  happiness 
is  therefore  barren  ! ' 

The  thera,  who,  being  gifted  with  the  six  (supernormal)  34 
powers,  foresaw  that  she  would  have  children,  said  :    '  Seek 
out  the  sick  samanera,  O  queen.'     She  went  thence  and  said  35 
to  the  samanera,  who  was  near  unto  death :  '  Utter  the  wish 
to  become  my  son ;  for  that  would  be  great  happiness  for  us.' 
And  when  she  perceived  that  he  would  not  the  keen-witted  36 
woman  commanded,  to  this  end,  great  and  beautiful  offerings 
of  flowers,  and  renewed  her  pleading. 

When  he  was  yet  unwilling,  she,  knowing  the  right  means,  37 
gave  to  the  brotherhood  for  his  sake  all  manner  of  medicines 
and  garments   and  again  pleaded  with  him.     Then  did  he  38 
desire  (rebirth  for  himself  in)  the   king's  family,  and   she 
caused  the  place  to  be  richly  adorned  and  taking  her  leave 
she   mounted   the   car   and  went   her  way.     Hereupon   the  39 
samanera  passed  away,  and  he  returned  to  a  new  life  in  the 
womb  of  the  queen  while  she  was  yet  upon  her  journey; 
when  she  perceived  this  she  halted.     She  sent  that  message  40 
to  the  king  and  returned  with  the  king.     When  they  two 
had  both  fulfilled  the  funeral  rites  for  the  samanera  they,  41 
dwelling  with  collected  minds   in  that   very    parivena,  ap- 
pointed   continually    lavish    gifts    for    the    brotherhood    of 
bhikkhus. 

And  there  came  on  the  virtuous  queen  these  longings  of  42 
a  woman  with  child.    (This)  did  she  crave  :  that  while  making 
a  pillow  for  her  head  of  a  honeycomb  one  usabha  long  l  and  43 
resting  on  her  left  side  in  her  beautiful  bed,  she  should  eat 
the  honey  that  remained  when  she  had  given  twelve  thousand 
bhikkhus  to  eat  of  it;    and  then   she  longed  to  drink  (the  44 
water)  that  had  served  to  cleanse  the  sword  with  which  the 


1  A  certain  measure.  According  to  Abhidhanappadipika =20  yatt hi 
('staves')  each  7  ratana  ('cubits').  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Ancient  Coins 
and  Measures  of  Ceylon,  p.  15. 


150  Mahavamsa  XXII.  45 

head  of   the  first  warrior  among  king  Elara's  warriors  had 

45  been  struck  off,  (and  she  longed  to  drink  it)  standing  on  this 
very  head,  and  moreover  (she  longed)  to  adorn  herself  with 

46  garlands  of  unfaded  lotus-blossoms  brought  from  the  lotus- 
marshes  of  Anuradhapura. 

The  queen  told  this  to  the  king,  and  the  king  asked  the 

47  soothsayers.     When  the  soothsayers  heard  it  they  said  :  'The 
queen's  son,  when  he  has  vanquished  the  Damilas  and  built 
up  a  united  kingdom,  will  make  the  doctrine  to  shine  forth 
brightly.' 

48  'Whosoever  shall  point  out  such  a  honeycomb,  on  him  the 
king  will  bestow  a  grace  in  accordance  (with  this  service)/ 

49  thus  did  the  king  proclaim.     A  countryman  who  found,1  on 
the  shore  of  the  Gotha-sea 2  a  boat,  which  was  turned  upside 

50  down,  filled  with  honey,  showed  this  to  the  king.     The  king 
brought  the  queen  thither   and,  in   a   beautifully  prepared 
pavilion,  caused  her  to  eat  the  honey  as  she  had  wished. 

51  And  that  her  other  longings  might  also  be  satisfied  the 
king   entrusted   his    warrior   named   Velusumana   with    the 

52  matter.     He  went  to  Anuradhapura  and  became  the  friend 
of  the  keeper  of  the  king's  state-horse  and  continually  did 

53  him  services.     When  he  saw  that  this  man  trusted  him  he, 
the  fearless  one,  laid  lotus-flowers  and  his  sword  down  on  the 

54  shore  of  the   Kadamba-river   early  in   the   morning;3    and 
when  he  had  led  the  horse  out  and  had  mounted  it  and  had 

1  The  Tlka  here  contains  a  narrative,  taken  from  the  Atthakatha. 
of  the  finding  of  the  boat ;  cf.  Dip.  and  Mah.,  p.  37.     The  author  of 
the  Kamb.  Mah.  has  versified  and  adopted  it  in  his  text. 

2  Gothasamudda  (cf.  22.  85)  is  a  designation  of  the  sea  near  Ceylon. 
In  Sinhalese  the  corresponding  word  is  golumuhudu  'the  sea  not 
far  from  the  land,  the  shallow  sea '  (CLOUQH,  Sirih.-Engl.  Diet.,  s.  v.). 

8  The  Tika  explains  the  passage  thus :  Anuradhapurassa  uppa- 
lakkhettato  gahitam  uppalamalam  ca  attano  khagga- 
ratanam  ca  gahetva  pato  va  Kadambanadiya  tiram  netvil 
kassaci  asankito  tattha  thapesi  'When  he  had  taken  lotus- 
flowers  gathered  from  the  lotus-marshes  of  Anuradhapura,  and  his 
own  precious  sword,  he  brought  it  early  in  the  morning  to  the  shore 
of  the  Kadamba-river  and  laid  it  there  down,  without  being  afraid  of 
anybody '. 


XXII.  63          The  Birth  of  Prince  Gamani  151 

grasped  the  lotus-blossoms  and  the  sword,  he  made  himself 
known l  and  rode  thence  as  swiftly  as  the  horse  could  (go).2 

When  the  king-  heard  that  he  sent  forth  his  first  warrior  55 
to  catch  him.    This  man  mounted  the  horse  that  came  second 
(to  the  state-horse)  and  pursued  the  other.3     He   (Velusu-  5(> 
mana),  sitting  on  the  horse's  back,  hid  himself  in  the  jungle, 
drew  the  sword  and  stretched  it  toward  his  pursuer.4   Thereby  57 
was  his  head,  as  he  came  on,  so  swiftly  as  the  horse  could, 
severed  (from  the  trunk).    The  other  took  both  beasts  and  the 
head  (of  Elara's  warrior)  and  reached  Mahagama  in  the  even- 
ing.   And  the  queen  satisfied  her  longings  even  as  she  would.  58 
But  the  king  conferred  on  his  warrior  such  honours  as  were 
in  accordance  (with  this  service). 

In   time  the  queen  bore  a  noble  son,  endowed  with  all  59 
auspicious  signs,5  and  great  was  the  rejoicing  in  the  house  of 
the  great  monarch.     By  the  effect  of  his  merit  there  arrived  60 
that  very  day,  from  this  place  and  that,  seven  ships  laden 
with  manifold  gems.     And  in  like  manner,  by  the  power  of  6 1 
his  merit,  an  elephant  of  the  six-tusked  race6  brought  his 
young  one  thither  and  left   him  here  and  went   his  way. 
When  a  fisherman  named  Kandula  saw  it  standing  in  the  62 
jungle  on  the  shore  opposite  the  watering-place,  he  straight- 
way told  the  king.     The  king  sent  his  (elephant)-trainers  to  63 
bring  the  young  elephant  and  he  reared  him.     He  was  named 
Kandula  as  he  had  been  found  by  Kandula. 

1  Attanam  nivedayitva  as  elsewhere  namam  savayitvana 
(10.26;  33.65;. 

2  Lit.  '  with  the  swiftness  of  the  horse.' 

3  According  to  the  Tika  Elara's  man-at-arnis  was  named  Nandasa- 
rathi,  his  horse  was  called  Sirigutta,  the  horse  stolen  by  Velusumana 
is  called  Vaha. 

*  Lit.  '  To  him  who  was  coming  at  his  back  or  after  him.' 
6  The  Tika  explains  dhannam  by  paripake  gabbhe  maha- 
punnasampannam  punnatejussadam  ti  va  attho. 

6  The  chaddanta  are  supposed  to  be  a  particularly  noble  breed  of 
elephants.  Chaddanta  is  also  a  sacred  lake  in  the  Himalaya  named 
after  these  elephants.  Mah.  5. 27, 29.  SUBHUTI,  Abhidhdnappadipikd- 
Suci,  p.  130:  Chaddanto,  nagaraja,  tassa  nivasatthanasaml- 
patta  Chaddanto  saro. 


152  Mahavamsa  xxil.  64 

64  '  A  ship  filled  with  vessels  of  gold  and  so  forth  has  arrived/ 
This  they  announced  to  the  king-.     And  he  bade  them  bring 
(the  precious  things)  to  him. 

65  As  the  king  had  invited  the  brotherhood  of  the  bhikkhus, 
numbering  twelve  thousand,  for  the  name-giving  festival  of  his 

66  son,  he  thought  thus :  '  If  my  son,  when  he  has  won  the  king- 
ship over  the  whole  realm  of  Lanka,  shall  make  the  doctrine  of 

67  the  Sambuddha  to  shine  forth  (in  clear  brightness)  then  shall 
just  one  thousand  and  eight  bhikkhus  come  hither  and  they 
shall  wear  the  robe  in  such  wise  that  the  alms-bowl  shall 

68  be  uppermost.1     They  shall  put  the  right  foot  first  inside  the 
threshold2  and  they  shall  lay  aside  the  prescribed  waterpot 

69  together  with  the  umbrella  (made  of)  one  (piece).3     A  thera 
named  Gotama  shall  receive  my  son  and  impart  to  him  the 
confession  of  faith  and  the  precepts  of  morality/  4     All  fell 
out  in  this  manner. 

1  I.e.  the  alms-bowl  shall  not  be   covered  by  the   folds  of  the 
garment.     The  twice  repeated  ca  is  striking.    The   author  of  the 
Kamb.  Mahavamsa  also  feels  this ;  he  alters  ca  to  sa. 

2  The  contrary  would  be  an  unlucky  omen.    This  superstition  still 
prevails  among  the  modern  Sinhalese.    PARKER,  Village  Folk-tales  of 
Ceylon,  p.  14. 

3  Ekacchattayutam  dhammakarakam  niharantu  ca.     My 
translation    is   based  on    SUBHUTI'S   interpretation    (letter   dated 
Colombo  2. 1.  1911).    The  dhammakaraka  is  a  pot  into  which  the 
water  is  strained  before  drinking;  the  strainer  being  called  paris- 
savana.     See  C.V.  V.  13.  1;  VI.  21.  3).     'The  waterpot  and  the 
umbrella  (chatta)  are  two  principal  articles  used  by  the  monks 
when  going  out.'   Ekacchatta  or  '  single  umbrella'  is  'an  umbrella 
made  of  leaf,  having  its  own  handle '.    According  to  SILANANDA 
(letter  received  from  H.  T.  de  Silva,   Colombo   21.  I.  1911)   ekac- 
chattayutam  must  be  taken  as  'provided  with  one  handle'  as  an 
adjective  belonging  to  dhammakarakam.   The  waterpots  are  made 
without  or  with  a  handle  or  neck.     In  this  case  the  neck  of  the 
waterpot  would  be  compared  toachattaon  the  top  of  a  building. 

4  WIJESINHA,  Mah.,  p.  87,  n.  1,  refers  the  words  not  to  the  boy  but 
to  the  assembly  present.    He  says :  '  It  must  here  be  borne  in  mind 
that  it  is  customary  with  the  priesthood  to  administer  the  confession 
of  faith  (sarana)  and  the  five  precepts  (pancasila)To  THE  ASSEMBLY 
before  the  commencement   of  any  ceremony.'     But  Mah.   24.  24 
Gotama  (cf.  v.  28)  is  expressly  designated  ran  no  (i.e.  of  Duttha- 


xxii.  84          TJie  Birth  of  Prince  Gamani  153 

When  he  saw  all  these  omens  the  king,  glad  at  heart,  70 
bestowed   rice-milk   on   the   brotherhood  ;    and   to   his   son, 
bringing  together  in  one  both  the  lordship  over  Mahagama  71 
and   the   name   of   his  father,  he  gave  the  name  Gamani- 
Abhaya. 

When,  on  the  ninth  day  after  this,  he  had  entered  Maha-  72 
g-ama,    he   had   intercourse   with   the   queen.      She   became 
thereby  with  child.     The  son  born  in  due  time  did  the  king  73 
name  Tissa.     And  both  boys  grew  up  in  the  midst  of  a  great 
body  of  retainers. 

When,  at  the  festival  time  of  the  presenting  of  the  (first)  74 
rice-foods  to  both  (children),  the  king,  full  of  pious  zeal,  set 
rice-milk  before  five   hundred  bhikkhus,  he,  when  the  half  75 
had  been  eaten  by  them,  did,  together  with  the  queen,  take 
a  little  in   a  golden  spoon  and  give  it   to   them  with   the  76 
words :  ( If  you,  my  sons,  abandon  the  doctrine  of  the  Sam- 
buddha  then  shall  this  not  be  digested  in  your  belly/     Both  77 
princes,  who  understood  the  meaning  of  these  words,  ate  the 
rice- milk  rejoicing  as  if  it  were  ambrosia. 

When  they  were  ten  and  twelve  years  old  the  king,  who  78 
would  fain  put  them  to  the  test,  offered  hospitality  in  the 
same  way  to  the  bhikkhus,  and  when  he  had  the  rice  that  79 
was  left  by  them  taken  and  placed  in  a  dish  and  set  before  the 
boys  he  divided  it  into  three  portions  and  spoke  thus :  '  Never,  80 
dear  ones,  will  we  turn  away  from  the  bhikkhus,  the  guardian- 
spirits  of  our  house :  with  such  thoughts  as  these  eat  ye  this 
portion  here/     And  furthermore:  'We  two  brothers  will  for  81 
ever  be  without  enmity  one  toward  the  other;    with   such 
thoughts  as  these  eat  ye  this  portion  here/     And  as  if  it  82 
were  ambrosia  they  both  ate  the  two  portions.     But  when 
it  was  said  to  them :  ( Never  will  we  fight  with  the  Damilas ; 
with  such  thoughts  eat  ye  this  portion  here/  Tissa  dashed  83 
the  food  away  with  his  hand,  but  Gamani  who  had  (in  like 
manner)  flung  away  the  morsel  of  rice,  went  to  his  bed,  and  84 

gamani)  sikkhaya  dayako,  with  distinct  reference  to  22.  69.  We 
take  it  then  to  mean  that  Gotama,  from  the  very  fact  that  he 
'receives'  the  boy  (patiganhati),  expresses  his  willingness  to  become 
his  teacher  in  the  future. 


154  Maliavamsa  XXII.  85 

drawing   in  his  hands  and  feet  he  lay  upon   his  bed.     The 

85  queen  came,  and  caiessing  Gamani  spoke  thus:   ' Why  dost 
thou  not  lie  easily  upon  thy  bed  with  limbs  stretched  out,  my 
son?'     'Over  there  beyond  the  Gariga  l  are  the  Damilas, 

86  here  on  this  side  is  the  Gotha-ocean,2  how  can  I  lie  with  out- 
stretched limbs  ? '  he  answered.     When  the  king  heard  his 
thoughts  he  remained  silent. 

87  Growing  duly  Gamani  came  to    sixteen  years,  vigorous, 
renowned,  intelligent  and  a  hero  in  majesty  and  might. 

88  In    this  changing  existence  do    beings    indeed   (only)  by 
works  of  merit  come  to  such  rebirth  as  they  desire ;  pondering 
thus  the  wise  man  will  be  ever  filled  with  zeal  in  the  heaping 
up  of  meritorious  works. 

Here  ends  the  twenty-second  chapter,  called  *  The  Birth  of 
Prince  Gamani',  in  the  MahEvamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene 
joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  See  note  to  10.  44.  2  See  note  to  22. 49. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  LEVYING  OF  THE  WARRIORS 

FOREMOST  in  strength,  beauty,  shape  and  the  qualities  of  1 
courage  and  swiftness  and  of  mighty  size  of  body  was  the 
elephant    Kandula.     Nandhimitta,    Suranimila,    Mahasona,  2 
Gothaimbara,  Theraputtabhaya,  Bharana,   and   also  Vejusu- 
mana,  Khanjadeva,  Phussadeva  and  Labhiyavasabha :    these  3 
ten  were  his  mighty  and  great  warriors.1 

King  Ejara  had  a  general  named  Mitta ;   and  he  had,  in  4 
the  village  that  he  governed,2  in  the  eastern  district3  near  5 
the  Citta-mountain,  a  (nephew,  his)  sister's  son,  named  after 
his  uncle,  whose  secret  parts  were  hidden  (in  his  body).     In  f> 
the  years  of  his  childhood,  since  he  loved  to  creep  far,  they  4 
were  used  to  bind  the  boy  fast  with  a  rope  slung  about  his 
body,  to  a  great  mill-stone.     And  since,  creeping  about  on  7 
the  ground,  he  dragged  the  stone  after  him  and  in  crossing 
over  the  threshold  the  rope  broke  asunder,  they  called  him  8 
Nandhimitta.     He  had  the  strength  of  ten  elephants.    When 
he  was  grown  up  he  went  into  the  city  and  served  his  uncle. 
Damilas,    who   desecrated   at   that   time   thupas    and   other  9 
(sacred  memorials),  this  strong   man  used  to  tear  asunder, 
treading  one  leg  down  with  his  foot  while  he  grasped  the  10 
other  with  his  hand,  and  then  (he  would)  cast  them  out  (over 

1  The  story  of  the  ten  paladins  of  Dutthagamani  is  treated  also  in 
the  Rasavahini  II,  p.  78  foil.    (Ed.  by  SARANATISSATHERA,  Colombo, 
1901  and  1899.) 

2  Kammantagama,  i.e.  'Village  of  labour'  or  'activity'.      'I 
think  the  word  is  equivalent  to  the  nindagamaof  the  present  day. 
It  is  a  village  the  tenants  of  which  are  liable  to  render  services  to  the 
landlords.'     WIJESINHA,  Mah.,  p.  88,  no.  4. 

8  Possibly  the  name  of  the  village  is  Khandaraji.    Rasav.  II.  8028 
seems  to  bear  this  out. 

4  That  is  the  boy's  parents. 


156  Mahavamsa  xxm.  n 

the  walls).     But  the  devas  caused  those  dead  bodies  that  he 
cast  out  to  vanish. 

1 1  When  they  observed  the  diminution  of  the  Damilas  they 
told  the  king ;  but  the  command  '  Take  him  with  his  prey  ! ' l 

1 2  they  could  not  carry  out.2     Nandhimitta  thought :    '  And  if 
I  do  thus,  it  is  but  the  destruction  of  men  and  brings  not  the 

13  glory  to  the  doctrine.     In  Rohana3  there  are  still  princes 
who  have  faith  in  the  three  gems.     There  will  I  serve  the 

14  king,  and  when  I  have  overcome  all  the  Damilas  and  have 
conferred  the  overlordship  on  the  princes,  I  shall  make  the 
doctrine  of  the  Buddha  to  shine  forth  brightly/     Then  he 

1 5  went  and  told  this  to  prince  Gamani.     When  this  latter  had 
taken  counsel  with  his  mother  he  received  him  with  honour, 
and  with  high  honours  the  warrior  Nandhimitta  continued  to 
dwell  with  him. 

1 6  King  Kakavannatissa  caused  a  guard  to  hold  the  Damilas 
in  check  to  be  kept  continually  at  all  the  fords  of  the  Maha- 

17  gahga.     Now  the  king  had,  by  another  wife,  a  son  named 
Dighabhaya;    and  he   gave  the  guard  near  the  Kacchaka- 

1 8  ford  4  into  his  charge.     And  to  form  the  guard  this  (prince) 
commanded   each   noble    family   within   a   distance   of    two 

19  yojanas  round  (to  send)  one  son  thither.     Within  the  district 
of  Kotthivala,  in  the  village  of  Khandakavitthika,  lived  the 
chief  of  a  clan  the  headman  named  Samgha  who  had  seven 

20  sons.     To  him,  too,  the  prince  sent  a  messenger  demanding 
a  son.     His  seventh  son  named  Nimila  5  had  the  strength  of 

21  ten  elephants.     His  six  brothers  who  were  angered  at  his 

1  The   reading    should    be,    without    doubt,   sahodham   ganha- 
thenam,  cf.  J.R.A.S.   1910,   p.   860;    J.P.T.S.  1910,  p.  137.     Skt, 
sahodha.      The   Tika  has  hit  the  meaning  with  the   paraphrase 
sabhandakam.     The  Rasavah.  II,  p.  8015  makes  the  characteristic 
alteration  to  sahasa  ganhathenam,  a  proof  that  the  phrase  was  no 
longer  understood  in  its  original  sense  but  had  fallen  into  a  stereo- 
typed use.     Cf.  also  Jdt.  in.  5910. 

2  Since  they  did  not  succeed  in  finding  out  the  doer  of  the  deed. 

3  See  note  to  22.  6.  4  See  note  to  10.  58. 

5  Rasavahim:  Nimmala  or  Suranimmala.  The  first  part  of  the 
latter  name  is  derived  from  sura  'spirituous  liquor',  and  must 
(according  to  II,  p.  841'2)  refer  to  the  drinking  prowess  of  the  hero. 


xxiii.  33        The  Levying  of  the  Warriors  157 

bent  toward  idleness,  wished  that  he  might  go,  but  not  so  his 
mother  and  his  father.     Wroth  with  his  other  brothers  he  22 
went,  in  the  early  morning,  a  distance  of  three  yojanas,  and 
sought  out  the  prince  even  at  sunrise.     And  he,  to  put  him  23 
to  the   test,   entrusted  him  with   a  far  errand  :    '  Near  the 
Cetiya-mountain  in  the  village  of  Dvaramandala  is  a  brahman  24 
named  Kundali,  my  friend.     In  his  possession  is  merchandise 
from   over-seas.1      Go   thou   to   him  and   bring   hither   the  25 
merchandise  that  he  gives  thee.'     When  he  had  thus  spoken 
to  him  and  had  offered  him  a  meal  he  sent  him  forth  with  a 
letter.     He  travelled,  yet  in  the  forenoon,  nine  yojanas  from  26 
that  place  hither 2  toward  Anuradhapura  and  sought  out  the 
brahman.     fWhen  thou  hast  bathed  in  the  tank,  my  dear,  27 
come  to  me,'  said  the  brahman.     As  he  had  never  yet  come 
to  this  place3  he  bathed  in  the  Tissa-tank,  and  when  he  had  28 
done  reverence  to  the   great  Bodhi-tree   and  the  cetiya   in 
the  Thuparama  he  went  into  the  city;  when  he  had  (then) 
seen  the  whole  city  and  had  bought  perfumes  in  the  bazaar,  29 
had  gone  forth  again  by  the  north  gate  and  had  brought 
lotus-blossoms  from  the  lotus-field  he  sought  out  the  brahman,  30 
and  questioned  by  him  he  told  him  of  his  wayfaring.     When 
the  brahman  heard   of  his  first  march  *  and   of  his  march 
hither5  he  thought,  full  of  amazement:  "This  is  a  man  of  31 
noble  race ;  if  Elara  hears  of  him  he  will  get  him  into  his 
power.    Therefore  must  he  not  dwell  near  the  Damilas,  he  must  32 
rather  take  up  his  abode  with  the  prince's  father.'     When  33 
he  had  written  in  the  same  sense  he  gave  the  written  message 
into  his  hands,  and  giving  him  Punnavaddhana-garments 8 

1  The  reading  samuddaparabhandani,  in  a  Sinhalese  MS.,  is 
only  a  conjecture,  but  is  probably  the  correct  reading. 

2  Here,  as  frequently,  taking  the  standpoint  of  the  author,  who 
lives  in  Anuradhapura. 

8  I.e.  to  Anuradhapura. 

4  I.  e.  the  distance  covered  in  the  morning  from  Kacchakatittha  to 
Dvaramandala. 

6  That  is,  to  Anuradhapura  and  from  there  back  to  Dvaramandala. 

6  Tika :  anagghani  evamnamikani  vatthayuganiti  'pre- 
cious pairs  of  garments  bearing  that  name '. 


158  Mahavamsa  xxin.  34 

34  and  many  gifts  (to  take  with  him),  and  having-  fed  him  he  sent 
him  (back)  to  his  friend.     He  came  to  the  prince  at  the  time 

35  that  the  shadows  grow  longer  and  delivered  up  to  the  king's 
son  the  letter  and  the  gifts.     Then  rejoicing   (the  prince) 
said :  '  Honour  this  man  with  a  thousand  (pieces  of  money).' 

36  The  other  servitors  of  the  prince  grew  envious,  then  ordered 

37  he  to  honour  the  youth  with  ten  thousand   (pieces).     And 
when   (according  to  his  charge)  they  had   cut  his  hair  and 
bathed  him   in  the   river,   and  had  put   on  him  a  pair  of 
Punnavaddhana-garments  and  a  beautiful  fragrant  wreath, 

38  and  had  wound  a  silken  turban  about  his  head,  they  brought 
him  to  the  prince,1  and  the  latter  commanded  that  food  from 

39  his  own  stores  be  given  him.    Moreover,  the  prince  bade  them 
give  his  own  bed  worth  ten  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  to  the 

40  warrior  as  a  couch.     He  gathered  all  these  together  and  took 
them  to  his  mother  and  father  and  gave  the  ten  thousand 
(pieces  of  money)  to  his  mother  and  the  bed  to  his  father. 

41  The  same  night  he  came  and  appeared  at  the  place  of  the 
guard.     When  the  prince  heard  this  in  the  morning  he  was 

42  glad  at  heart.     When  he  had  given  him  provision  for  the 
journey  and  an  escort  and  had  bestowed  on  him  (as  a  gift)  ten 

43  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  he  sent  him  to  his  father.     The 
warrior  brought  the  ten  thousand  to  his  mother  and  father, 
gave    it    to    them   and    went    into    the    presence   of    king 

44  Kakavannatissa.     The  king  gave  him  (into  the  service  of)  the 
prince  Gamani,  and  with  high  honours  the  warrior  Suranimila 
took  up  his  abode  with  him. 

45  In    the   Kulumbari-district 2   in   the   village    Hundarivapi 

46  lived  Tissa's  eighth  son  named  Sona.     At  the  time  when  he 
was  seven  years  old  he  tore  up  young  palms;   at  the  time 
when  he  was  ten  years  old  the  strong  (boy)  tore  up  great 

1  Vethayitva,    a    verb    common    to   both    and   governing   the 
accusative,    must    be    supplied    to    punnavaddhanayugam    and 
gandhamalam. 

2  Kulumbarikannikaya  ;      cf.     Nakulanagakannikayain, 
Mah.  23.  77;   Kalayanakannikamhi,  Mah.  34.  89;   and  Huva- 
cakannike,   Mah.  34.  90.    Rasav.  II.   8619   reads  Kadalumbari- 
kannikaya. 


xxin.  61        Tlie  Levying  of  the  Warriors  159 

palm-trees.      In    time   Mahasona   became  as   strong1   as   ten  47 
elephants.     When  the  king-  heard  that  he  was  such  a  man  he 
took  him  from  his  father  and  gave  him  into  the  service  o£  48 
the  prince  Gamani  that  he  might  maintain  him.     Receiving 
honourable  guerdon  from  him,  the  warrior  took  up  his  abode 
with  him. 

In  the  region  named  Giri,  in  the  village  Nitthulavitthika,  49 
there  lived  a  son  of  Mahanaga  strong  as  ten  elephants.     By  50 
reason  of  his  dwarfish  stature  he  was  named  Gothaka  ;  his  six 
elder  brothers  made  a  merry  jest  of  him.     Once  when  they  51 
had  gone  forth  and  were  clearing  the  forest  to  lay  out  a  bean- 
field  they  left  his  share  and  came  back  and  told  him.     Then  52 
forthwith  he  started  out,  and  when  he  had  torn  up  the  trees 
called  imbara  and  had  levelled  the  ground  he  came  and  told 
(them).      His  brothers  went  and  when  they  had  seen   his  53 
amazing   work    they    returned   to   him   praising   his    work.1 
Because  of   this  he  bore  the  name  Gothaimbara,   and  him  54 
too,   in    like   manner,    the   king   commanded   to    stay   with 
Gamani. 

A  householder  named  Rohana,  who  was  headman  in  the  55 
village  of  Kitti  near  the  Kota-mountain,  gave  to  the  son  who 
was  born  to  him  the  name  of  the  king  Gothabhaya.2     At  the  56 
age  of  ten  to  twelve  years  the  boy  was  so  strong  that  in  his  57 
play  he  threw  like  balls  for  playing  stones  that  could  not  be 
lifted  by  four  or  five  men.     When  he  was  sixteen  years  old  58 
his  father  made  him   a  club  thirty-eight  inches  round  and 
sixteen  cubits  long.     When,  with  this,  he  smote  the  stems  59 
of  palmyra  or  coco-palms,   he  felled  them.     Therefore  was 
he  known  as  a  warrior.     And  him,  too,  did  the  king  in  like  60 
manner  command  to  stay  with  Gamani.     But  his  father  was 
a  supporter  of  the  thera  Mahasumma.    Once  when  this  house-  61 
holder  was  hearing  a  discourse  of  Mahasumma  in  the  Kota- 
pabbata-vihara  he  attained  to  the  fruition  of  (the  first  stage  of 

1  The  Rasav.  II.  88  foil,  tells  yet  another  story  of  Gothaimbara, 
that  he  subdued  a  yakkha  named  Jayasena  and  then  went  among  the 
monks.    The  'dwellers  in  the  Uttaravihara '  are  mentioned  as  the 
source  of  this  story. 

2  Samananamam  k  are  si,  lit.  'made  of  him  of  like  name  with  .  .  . 


160  Mahavamsa  XXIIL  62 

62  salvation  called)  sotapatti.     With  heart  strongly  moved l  he 
told  this  to  the  king,  and  when  he  had  given  over  (the  headship 
of)  his  house  to  his  son  he  received  the  pabbajja  from  the 

63  thera.     Given  up  to  the  practice  of  meditation  he  attained 
to  the  state  of  an  arahant.     Therefore  his  son  was  called 
Theraputtabhaya.2 

64  In  the  village  of  Kappakandara  3  a  son  of  Kumara4  lived 
named  Bharana.     In  time,  when  he  was  ten  to  twelve  years 

65  old,  he  went  with  the  boys  into  the  forest  and  chased  many 
hares;    he  struck  at  them  with  his  foot  and  dashed  them, 

66  (smitten)  in  twain,  to  the  ground.     Then  when  he,  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  years,  went  with  the  village-folk  into  the  forest 

67  he  killed  antelopes,  elks,  and  boars  in  like  manner.    Therefore 
was  Bharana  known  as  a  great  warrior.     And  him  did  the 
king  in  like  manner  command  to  stay  with  Gamani. 

68  In  the  district  called  Giri,  in  the  village  of  Kutumbiyan- 
gana  there  dwelt,  held  in  honour  (by  the  people)  there,  a  house- 

69  holder  named  Vasabha.     His   fellow-countrymen   Vela  and 
Sumana,  governor  of  Giri,  came  when  a  son  was  born  to  their 

70  friend,  bringing  gifts,  and  both  gave  their  name  to  the  boy. 
When  he  was  grown  up  the  governor  of  Giri  had  him  to  dwell 

71  in  his  house.    He  had  a  Sindhu-horse  5  that  would  let  no  man 
mount  him.     When  he  saw  Velusumana  he  thought :  '  Here 

72  is  a  rider  worthy  of  me/  and  he  neighed  joyfully.    When  the 
*     governor  perceived  this  he  said  to  him :  '  Mount  the  horse/ 

73  Then  he  mounted  the  horse  and  made  him  gallop  in  a  circle; 
and  the  animal  appeared  even  as  one  single  horse  around  the 

74  whole  circle,  and  he  sat  on  the  back  of  the  courser  seeming 

1  Jatasamvego,  the  conception  of  samvega  is  the  negative  side 
to  the  positive  pasada.    See  note  to  1.  4. 

2  I.e.  Abhaya,   the  son  of  the   thera.     The  Rasav.   II.   947  foil, 
states  that  the  son  was  already  a  samanera,  then  relates  a  story 
from  which  it  appears  that  in   strength  he  was  even  superior  to 
Gothaimbara. 

3  A  river  of  this  name  in  Rohana  is  also  mentioned,  Mah.  24.  22, 
besides  a  monastery,  Rasav.  II.  8811,  9412. 

4  Thus  Rasav.  II.  9628 :  Kumaro  nameko  kutumbiko. 

8  Skt.  saindhava  'horse  from  the  Indus  countryman  excellent 
breed  much  prized  in  Indian  literature. 


xxin.  87        The  Levying  of  flie  Warriors  161 

to  be  a  chain  of  men1  and  he  loosed  his  mantle  and  girt  it 
about  him  again  and  again  fearlessly.     When  the  bystanders  75 
saw  this  they  broke  into  applauding  shouts.     The  governor 
of  Giri  gave  him  ten  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  and  thinking  : 
'  he  is  fit  for  the  king/  he  gave  him  joyfully  into  the  king's  76 
service.     The  king  made  Velusumana  dwell  near  him,  giving  77 
him  honourable  guerdon  and  favouring  him  greatly. 

In  the  district  of  Nakulanaga  in  the  village  of  Mahisa- 
donika  there  lived  Abhaya's  last  son,  named  Deva,  endowed  78 
with  great  strength.     Since  he  limped  a  little  they  called  him 
Khanjadeva.    When  he  went  a-hunting  with  the  village-folk,  79 
he  chased  at  those  times  great  buffaloes,  as  many  as  rose  up, 
and  grasped  them  by  the  leg  with  his  hand,  and  when  he  had  80 
whirled  them  round  his  head  the  young  man  dashed  them  to 
the  ground  breaking  their  bones.     When  the  king  heard  this  81 
matter,  having  sent  for  Khanjadeva,  he  commanded  him  to 
stay  with  Gamani. 

Near  the  Cittalapabbata  (vihara) 2  in  the  village  named  82 
Gavita  there  lived  Uppala's  son  named  Phussadeva.     When  83 
he  went  once  as  a  boy  to  the  vihara  with  the  (other)  boys 
he  took  one  of  the  shells  offered  to  the  bodhi-tree  and  blew  it 
mightily.     Powerful  even  as  the  roar  at  the  bursting  asunder  84 
of  a  thunderbolt  was  his  tone,  and  all  the  other  boys,  terrified, 
were  as  if  stunned.     Therefore  he  was  known  by  the  name  85 
Ummadaphussadeva.    His  father  made  him  learn  the  archer's 
art  handed  down  in  the  family,  and  he  was  one  of  those  who  86 
hit  their  mark  (guided)  by  sound,  who  hit  by  (the  light  of 
the)  lightning,  and  who  hit  a  hair.     A  waggon  laden  with 
sand  and  a  hundred  skins  bound  one  upon  another,  a  slab  of  87 
asana  or  udumbara-wood 3  eight  or  sixteen  inches  thick,  or 

1  The  Tika  (see  Mah.  ed.  note  on  this  passage)  explains  vassa- 
haram  va  by  'like  an  unbroken  row  of  men  holding  together1. 
Vassa  presupposes  a  Skt.  varsan  related  to  Skt.  vrsan.   The  neuter 
gender  in  bar  a  'string  of  pearls  ',  is  striking.    Cf.  the  Greek  legend 
of  Alexander's  horse  Bukephalos. 

2  See  Mah.  22.  23  (with  note) ;  Rasav.  II.  1012. 

8  Skt.    asana,    Terminalia     tomentosa    and     udumbara,    Ficus 
glomerata. 

M 


162  Mahavamsa  xxm.  88 

88  one  of   iron  or  copper  two   or   four   inches   thick   he   shot 
through  with  the  arrow;  an  arrow  shot  forth  by  him  flew 

89  eight  usabhas l  over  the  land  but  one  usabha  through  the 
water.      "When  the  great  king  heard  this  thing  he  had  him 
taken   away   from  his  father  and  commanded  him  to  stay 
with  Gamani. 

90  Near  the  Tuladhara-mountain  in  the  village  of  Viharavapi 

91  lived  a  son  of  the  householder  Matta,  named  Vasabha.     Since 
his  body  was  nobly  formed  they  called  him  Labhiyavasabha. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  was  gifted  with  great  bodily 

92  strength.     Taking  some  men  with  him  he  began,   since  he 
would  fain  have  some  fields,  (to  make)  a  tank.    Making  it  he, 

93  being  endowed  with  great  strength,  flung  away  masses  of  earth 
such  as  only  ten  or  twelve  men  had  moved  else,  and  thus  in 

94  a  short  time  he  finished  the  tank.     And  thereby  he  gained 
renown,  and  him  too  did  the  king  summon  and,  allotting  him 
honourable   guerdon,  he  appointed   him   to  (the  service  of) 

95  Gamani.     That  field  was  known  as  Vasabha's  Dam.2      So 
Labhiyavasabha  abode  near  Gamani. 

96  On  these  ten  great  warriors  did  the  king  henceforth  confer 

97  honours  like  to  the  honours  conferred  on  his  own  son.     Then 
summoning  the  ten  great  warriors  the  king  charged  them  : 

98  'Each  one  find  ten  warriors/     They  brought  thither  warriors 
in  this  way  and  again  the  king  commanded  these  hundred 

99  warriors  to  levy  (others)  in  like  manner.     They  too  brought 
thither  warriors  in  this  way  and  these  thousand  warriors  did 
the  king  again  command  to  levy  (others)  in  like  manner. 

100  They  also  brought  warriors  thither.  And  they,  reckoned 
altogether,  were  then  eleven  thousand  one  hundred  and  ten 
warriors. 

!01  They  all  continually  received  honourable  guerdon  from  the 
ruler  of  the  land  and  abode  surrounding  the  prince  Gamani. 

102       Thus  when  a  wise  man,  mindful  of  his  salvation,  hears  of 

1  See  note  to  22.  42. 

2  TheRasav.  11.  103  135  says:  Kakavannatissamaharaja  tarn 
anapetva    mahantam    sakkaratn    katva   udakavaragamaip 
tass'   eva  dapesi;    tato   patthaya  so   Vasabhodakavaro   ti 
pakato  ahosi. 


xxill.  102       The  Levying  of  the  Warriors  163 

the  marvels  wrought  by  the  pious  life,  he  should  surely, 
turning  aside  from  the  evil  path,  evermore  find  pleasure  in 
the  path  of  piety. 

Here  ends  the  twenty-third  chapter,  called  '  The  Levying 
of  the  Warriors',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the 
serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 


M  2 


CHAPTEE  XXIV 

THE   WAR   OF   THE   TWO   BROTHERS 

1  SKILLED  in  (guiding)  elephants  and  horses,  and  in  (bearing) 
the  sword  and  versed  in  archery  x  did  the  prince  Gamani  dwell 

2  thenceforth  in  Mahagama.     The  prince  Tissa,  equipped  with 
troops  and  chariots  did  the  king  cause  to  be  stationed   in 

3  Dlghavapi 2  in  order  to  guard  the  open  country.     Afterwards 
prince  Gamani,  reviewing  his  host,  sent  to  announce  to  his 

4  father  the  king  :  f  I  will  make  war  upon  the  Damilas.'     The 
king,  to  protect  him,  forbade  him,  saying:  'The  region  on 
this  side  of  the  river  3  is  enough/     Even  to  three  times  he 

5  sent  to  announce  the  same  (reply).    e  If  my  father  were  a  man 
he  would  not  speak  thus :  therefore  shall  he  put  this  on/ 

6  And  therewith  Gamani  sent  him  a  woman's  ornament.     And 
enraged  at  him  the  king  said :  '  Make  a  golden  chain  !  with 
that  will  I  bind  him,  for  else  he  cannot  be  protected.' 

7  Then  the  other  fled  and  went,  angered  at  his  father,  to 
Malaya,4  and  because  he  was  wroth  with  his  father  they 
named  him  Dutthagamani.5 

8  Then  the  king  began  to  build  the   Mahanuggala-cetiya. 
When  the  cetiya  was  finished  the  monarch  summoned  the 

9  brotherhood.    Twelve  thousand  bhikkhus  from  the  Cittalapab- 

1  I  believe  that  upasana  in  katupasana  must  be  taken  in  the 
sense  of  'archery',  which  is  borne  out  by  Abhidh.  390.    The  Tika,  it 
is  true,  explains  katupasano,  in  a  general  way,  by  katasikkho, 
dassitasippo. 

2  See  note  to  1.  78. 

8  Cf.  the  note  to  10.  44.  The  Mahaganga  is  considered  the  border 
between  the  region  occupied  by  the  Damilas  and  the  provinces  ruled 
over  by  the  Mahagama  dynasty. 

4  Cf.  note  to  7.  68. 

6  I.e.  the  angry  Gamani.     Cf.  Dip.  and  Mah.t  p.  21,  n.  1. 


xxiv.  22         The  War  of  the  Two  Brothers  165 

bata  (vihara)  gathered  together  here,  and  from  divers  (other) 
places  twelve  thousand  also. 

When  the  king  had  celebrated  the  solemn  festival  of  the  10 
cetiya  he  brought  all  the  (ten)  warriors  together  and  made 
them  take  an  oath  in  the  presence  of  the  brotherhood.     They  1 1 
all  took  the  oath  :  ( We  will  not  go  to  (thy)  sons'  battlefield ' ; 
therefore  did  they  also  not  come  to  the  war  (afterwards). 

When  the  king  had  built  sixty-four  viharas  and  had  lived  12 
just  as  many  years  he  died  then  in  that  same  place.1     The  13 
queen  took  the  king's  body,  brought  it  to  the  Tissamaharama  2 
in  a  covered  car  and  told  this  to  the  brotherhood.     When  the  14 
prince  Tissa  heard  this  he  came  from  Dighavapi,  and  when 
he  himself  had  carried  out  with  (due)  care  the  funeral  rites 
for  his  father,  the  powerful  (prince)  toofc:  his  mother  and  the  15 
elephant  Kandula  with  him  and  for  fear  of  his  brother  went 
thence  with  all  speed  back  to  Dighavapi.     To  acquaint  him  16 
with  these  matters  the  whole  of  the  ministers,  who  had  met 
together,  sent  a  letter  to  Dutthagamani.      He  repaired  to  17 
Guttahala 3  and  when  he  had  placed  outposts  there  he  came 
to  Mahagama  and  caused  himself  to  be  consecrated  king.    He  18 
sent  a  letter  to  his  brother  (asking)  for  his  mother  and  the 
elephant.     But  when  after  the  third  time  he  did  not  receive 
them  he  set  forth  to  make  war  upon  him.     And  between  19 
those  two  there  came  to  pass  a  great  battle  in  Culahganiya- 
pitthi :  and  there  fell  many  thousands  of  the  king's  men.4 
The  king  and  his  minister  Tissa  and  the  mare  Dighathunika,  20 
those  three,  took  flight;    the  prince  (Tissa)  pursued  them. 
The  bhikkhus  created  a  mountain  between  the  two  (brothers).  21 
When  he  (Tissa)  saw  it  he  turned  about,  thinking :  '  This  is 
the  work  of  the  brotherhood  of  the  bhikkhus/ 

When  he  came  to  the  Javamala  ford5  of  the  river  Kappa-  22 

1  In  Mahagama.  2  Cf.  note  to  22.  8. 

3  Now  Buttala,  situated  thirty  to  thirty-five  miles  to  the  north  of 
Mahagama,  where  the  high-road  crosses  the  Menik-ganga.    The  road 
from  Mahagama  to  Mahiyangana  led  through  Guttahalaka  (cf.  25.  6). 
The  outposts  were  stationed  there  by  Dutthagamani  as  a  security 
against  a  surprise  from  Tissa,  residing  at  Dighavapi. 

4  I.  e.  of  Dutthagamani. 

5  I  think  that  the  battle  took  place  at  some  distance  from  Gutta- 


166  Mahavamsa  XXIV.  23 

kandara  the  king  said  to  his  minister  Tissa  :  '  I  am  spent 1 

23  with  hunger.'     He  offered  him  food  that  was  placed  in  a 
golden  vessel.     When  he  had  set  aside  of  the  food   for  the 

24  brotherhood  and  had  divided  it  into  four  portions  he  said  : 
'  Proclaim  the  meal-time/    Tissa  proclaimed  the  time.    When, 
by  means  of  his  heavenly  ear,2  he  who  had  taught  the  king 

25  the  holy  precepts,3  the  thera  (Gotama),  dwelling  in  Piyan- 
gudlpa,4  heard  this  he  sent  the  thera  Tissa  the  son  of  a  house- 

26  holder,  thither,  and  he  went  there  through  the  air.    Tissa  (the 
minister)  took  his  almsbowl  from  his  hand  and  offered  it  to  the 
king.     The  king  commanded  the  portion  for  the  brotherhood 

27  and  his  own  portion  to  be  poured  into  the  bowl.     And  Tissa 
poured  his  portion  in  likewise,  and  the  mare  also  would  not 
have  her  portion.     Therefore  did  Tissa  pour  her  share  too  into 
the  bowl. 

28  '  The  king  handed  to  the  thera  the  bowl  filled  with  food; 
and  hastening  away  through  the  air  he  brought  it  to  the  thera 

29  Gotama.     When  the  thera  had  offered  their  share  in  mor- 
sels5 to  five  hundred  bhikkhus,  who   partook  of   the   food, 

30  and  had  (again)  filled  the  bowl  with  the  fragments  that  he 
received  from  them,  he  caused  it  to  fly  through  the  air  to  the 
king.     (The  minister)  Tissa  who  saw  it  coming  received  it 

31  and  served  the  king.     When  he  himself  then  had  eaten  he  fed 
the  mare  also ;  then  the  king  sent  the  almsbowl  away,  making 
of  his  own  field-cloak  a  cushion  to  bear  it  upon.6 

halaka  in  the  direction  of  Dighavapi.  The  site  of  Culanganiyapitthi 
may,  therefore,  be  near  Muppana,  about  ten  miles  to  the  north-east 
from  Guttahalaka.  On  his  flight  the  king  had  to  cross  the  Kumbuk- 
kan-oya.  This  may  be  the  Kappukandara-nadi.  Then  the  Javamala 
ford  was  near  the  village  Kurnbukkan. 

1  Chatajjhatto,  in  this  sense  also  Jdt.  i.  34529. 

2  See  note  to  4. 12. 

3  See  note  to  22.  69  and  below,  v.  28. 

4  I.  e.    '  Panicum,   or  Saffron    Island.'     The  monks   living   there 
enjoyed  a  reputation  for  particular  holiness.     Cf.  Mah.  25.  104  foil. 

8  On  alopa  see  CHILDERS,  P.D.,  s.  v. ;  literally  translated  it  would 
be :  '  when  he  had  given  (of  it)  in  morsel-portions.' 

6  By  cum  bat  a  is  meant  a  cloth  rolled  into  a  circular  shape 
which  serves  as  the  support  for  a  vessel  when  carried  upon  the  head. 


xxiv.  45        The  War  of  the  Two  Brothers  1 67 

Arrived  in  Mahagama  he  assembled  again  a  host  of  sixty  32 
thousand  men  and  marching  into  the  field  began  the  war  with 
his  brother.     The  king  riding  on  his  mare  and  Tissa  on  the  33 
elephant  Kandula,  thus  did  the  two  brothers  now  come  at 
once  together,   opposing  each  other  in  battle.     Taking  the  34 
elephant  in  the  middle  the  king  made  the  mare  circle  round 
him.     When  he,  notwithstanding,  found  no  unguarded  place 
he  resolved  to  leap  over  him.1     Leaping  with  the  mare  over  35 
the  elephant  he  shot  his  dart  over  his  brother,  so  that  he 
wounded  only  the  skin  on  the  back  (of  the  elephant).2 

Many  thousands  of  the  prince's  men  fell  there,  fighting  in  36 
battle,  and  his  great  host  was  scattered.     '  By  reason  of  the  37 
weakness  of  my  rider  one  of  the  female  sex  has  used  me  con- 
temptuously'; 3  so  thought  the  elephant,   and  in  wrath  he 
rushed  upon  a  tree  in  order  to  throw  him  (Tissa).     The  prince  38 
climbed   upon   the  tree;    the   elephant  went  to   his  master 
(Dutthagamani).     And   he   mounted  him   and   pursued   the 
fleeing  prince.     The  prince  came  to  a  vihara  and  fleeing  to  the  39 
cell  of  the  chief  thera,  he  lay  down,  in  fear  of  his  brother, 
under  the  bed.     The  chief  thera  spread  a  cloak  over  the  bed,  40 
and  the  king,  who  followed  immediately,  asked :  '  Where  is 
Tissa  ?  '    '  He  is  not  in  the  bed,  great  king ' ;  answered  the  4 1 
thera.     Then  the  king  perceived  that  he  was  under  the  bed, 
and  when  he  had  gone  forth  he  placed  sentinels  round  about  42 
the  vihara ;  but  they  laid  the  prince  upon  the  bed  and  covered 
him  over  with  a  garment  and  four  young  ascetics,  grasping  43 
the  bed-posts,  bore  him  out  as  if  (they  were  carrying)  a  dead 
bhikkhu.     But  the  king,  who  perceived  that  he  was  being  44 
carried  forth,  said :  '  Tissa,  upon  the  head  of  the  guardian  genii 
of  our  house  art  thou  carried  forth ;  to  tear  away  anything  45 
with  violence  from  the  guardian  genii  of  our  house  is  not  my 

1  To  see  whether  he  could  perhaps  attack  him  from  above. 

2  This  passage  was  corrupt  at  an   early  period.    The  Tika,  too, 
mentions  varying  readings.  The  sense  appears  to  me  to  be  that  Duttha- 
gamani only  wishes  to  show  his  superiority  without  wounding  either 
his  brother  or  the  elephant  seriously.     Cf.  Mah.  ed.,  Introd.,  p.  xxii. 

3  Lit.  'Has  leaped  over  me.'     But  the  word   'langhayi'  is  evi- 
dently to  be  taken  also  metaphorically  here. 


168  Mahdvamsa  xxiv.  46 

custom.     Mayst  thou  evermore  remember  the  virtue  of  the 

46  guardian  genii  of  our  house  !'    Hereupon  the  king  went  to 
Mahagama,  and  thither  did  he  bring  his  mother,  whom  he 

47  greatly  reverenced.    Sixty-eight  years  did  the  king  live,  whose 
heart  stood  firm  in  the  faith,  and  he  built  sixty-eight  viharas. 

48  But  the  prince  Tissa,  carried  forth  by  the  bhikkhus,  went 

49  thence  unrecognized1  and  came  to  Dlghavapi.     The  prince 
said  to  the  thera  Godhagatta  Tissa  :  2  '  I  have  done  ill,  sir  ;  I 

50  will  make  my  peace  with  my  brother '.    The  thera  took  Tissa, 
in  the  habit  of  a  servitor,  and  five  hundred  bhikkhus  with  him 

51  and  sought  the  king  out.     Leaving  the  prince  above  on  the 
stairs  the  thera  entered  with  the  brotherhood.     The  monarch 

52  invited  them  all  to  be  seated  and  had  rice-milk  and  other 
(food)  brought  (to  them).    The  thera  covered  his  almsbowl,  and 
on  the  question  :  f  Wherefore  this '?  he  answered:  '  We  have 

53  come  bringing  Tissa  with  us.'     To  the  question:  ( Where  is 
the  traitor  ?  '  he  pointed  out  the  place  where  he  stood.     The 
Viharadevi  hurried  thither  and  stood  sheltering  her  young  son. 

54  The  king  said  to  the  thera  :  ( It  is  known  to  you  that  we  are 
now  also  3  your  servants.     If  you  had  but  sent  a  samanera  of 

55  seven  years  our  strife  had  not  taken  place  (and  all  had  ended) 
without  loss  of  men/    '  O  king,  this  is  the  brotherhood's  guilt, 
the  brotherhood  will  do  penance/ 

56  '  You   will   (first)   have  (to  do)   what  is  due  to  (guests) 4 
arriving.    Take   the   rice-milk    and    the   rest.'     With   these 
words  he  offered  the  (food)  to  the  brotherhood ;  and  when  he 

57  had  called   his   brother  hither   he    took    his    seat   with   his 

1  According  to  the  conjectural  reading  anatako.     Cf.  Mah.  ed., 
Introd.,  p.  xlvii. 

2  We  have  here  a  surname  given  to  the  thera  because  of  his  spotted 
complexion,  Tika:    evamnamikassa.     TURNOUR  translates,  con- 
cerning the  explanation  of  the  name  given  in  the  Tika,  thus  :  '  Who 
was  afflicted  with  a  cutaneous  complaint  which  made  his  skin  scaly 
like  that  of  the  godha.'     (  WIJESINHA  :  of  an  iguana.) 

3  Nato  vo  dasabhavo  idani  no,  i.e.  even  after  I  have  become 
king;  no  is  honorific  plur. 

4  Hessat'  agatakiccam  vo  stands  briefly  for  agatanam  kic- 
cam  hessati  vo  kiccam.     With  these  words  the  king  returns  to 
the  hospitality  shown  to  the  bhikkhus. 


xxiv.  59        The  War  of  the  Two  Brothers  160 

brother  even  there  in  the  midst  of  the  brotherhood  ;  and  when 
he  had  eaten  tog-ether  with  him  he  gave  the  brotherhood  leave 
to  depart.     And  thither  too1  he  sent  his  brother  to  direct  the  58 
work  of  harvest ;  and  he  too,  when  he  had  made  it  known  by 
beat  of  drum,  directed  the  work  of  harvest. 

Thus  are  pious  men  wont  to  appease  an  enmity,  though  59 
heaped  up  from  many  causes,  even  if  it  be  great;  2  what  wise 
man,  pondering  this,  shall  not  be  of  peace-loving  mind  toward 
others  ? 

Here  ends  the  twenty-fourth  chapter,  called  (  The  War  of 
the  two  Brothers ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the 
serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  That  is,  there,  where  he  had  sent  the  bhikkhus,  i.e.  to  Dighavapi. 
The  sassakamraani  are  preparations  for  the  campaign  against  the 
Damilas. 

2  The  Tika  explains  anekavikappacitam  by  anekadha  upa- 
citam,  punappunanusaranavasena  raslkatam  ti  attho. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  VICTORY  OF  DUTTHAGAMANI 

1  WHEN  the  king  Dutthagamani  had  provided  for  his  people 
and  had  had  a  relic  put  into  his  spear1  he  marched,  with 

2  chariots,  troops  and  beasts  for  riders,2  to  Tissamaharama,  and 
when  he  had  shown  favour  to  the  brotherhood  he  said :  '  I  will 
go  on  to  the  land  on  the  further  side  of  the  river  3  to  bring 

3  glory  to  the  doctrine.     Give  us,  that  we  may  treat  them  with 
honour,  bhikkhus  who  shall  go  on  with  us,  since  the  sight  of 

4  bhikkhus  is  blessing  and  protection  for  us/     As  a  penance  4 
the  brotherhood  allowed  him  five  hundred  ascetics ;  taking  this 

5  company  of  bhikkhus  with  him  the  king  marched  forth,  and 
when  he  had  caused  the  read  in  Malaya  leading  hither  5  to  be 
made  ready  he  mounted  the  elephant  Kandula  and,  surrounded 

6  by  his  warriors,  he  took  the  field  with  a  mighty  host.     With 
the  one  end  yet  in  Mahagama 6  the  train  of  the  army  reached 
to  Guttahalaka. 

7  Arrived   at   Mahiyangana  7   he    overpowered    the   Damila 
Chatta.     When  he  had  slain  the  Damilas  in  that  very  place 
he  came  then  to  Ambatitthaka,8  which  had  a  trench  leading 

8  from    the    river,    and    (conquered)   the    Damila   Titthamba ; 
fighting  the  crafty9  and  powerful  foe  for  four  months  he 

1  The  spear  serves  as  a  royal  standard,  which  is  always  carried 
before  the  prince. 

2  See  note  to  15.  189-190.  '  See  note  to  24.  4. 

4  Cf.  24.  55. 

5  That  is  to  the  north  of  the  island,  towards  Anuradhapura.     Note 
to  10.  77.    On  Malaya  see  note  to  7.  68. 

6  Mahagamena  sambaddha,  lit. 'connected  with  Mahagama.' 

7  Mahiyangana  =  Bintenne  (Alut-nuwara).     See  Appendix  C. 

8  A  ford  of  the  Mahawaeliganga,  not  far  from  Bintenne. 

9  Katahattha  =  Skt.  krtahasta,  and  must  be  taken  in  the  same 
sense. 


xxv.  22          The  Victory  of  Dutthagamani  171 

(finally)  overcame  him  by  cunning,1  since  he  placed  his  mother  9 
in  his  view. 

When  the  mighty  man  marching  thence  down  (the  river) 
had  conquered  seven  mighty  Damila  princes  in  one  day  and  10 
had  established  peace,  he  gave  over  the  booty  to  his  troops. 
Therefore  is  (the  place)  called  Khemarama. 

In  Antarasobbha  he  subdued  Mahakottha,  in  Dona  Gavara,  1 1 
in  Halakola  Issariya,  in  Nalisobbha  Nalika.     In  Dlghabhaya-  1 2 
gallaka  he  subdued,  in  like  manner,  Dlghabhaya ;  in  Kaccha- 
tittha,  within  four  months,  he  subdued  Kapislsa.    In  Kotana-  13 
gara  he  subdued  Kota,  then  Halavahanaka,  in  Vahittha  the 
Damila  Vahittha  and  in  Gamani  (he  subdued)  Gamani,  in  Kum-  1 4 
bagama  Kumba,  in  Nandigama  Nandika,  Khanu  in  Khanugama 
but  in  Tamba  and  Unnama  the  two,  uncle  and  nephew,  named  15 
Tamba  and  Unnama.     Jambu  also  did  he  subdue,  and  each 
village  was  named  after  (its  commander.) 

When  the  monarch  heard  (that  it  was  said:)  ' Not  knowing  16 
their  own  army  they  slay  their  own  people ',  he  made  this 
solemn  declaration : 2  '  Not  for  the  joy  of  sovereignty  is  this  toil  1 7 
of  mine,  my  striving  (has  been)  ever  to  establish  the  doctrine 
of  the  Sambuddha.     And  even  as  this  is  truth  may  the  armour  18 
on  the  body  of  my  soldiers  take  the  colour  of  fire/    And  now 
it  came  to  pass  even  thus. 

All  the  Damilas  on  the  bank  of  the  river  who  had  escaped  1 9 
death  threw  themselves  for  protection  into  the  city  named 
Vijitanagara.3     In  a  favourable  open  country  he  pitched  a  20 
camp,  and  this  became  known  by  the  name  Khandhavara- 
pitthi. 

Since  the  king,  in  order  to  take  Vijitanagara,  would  fain  21 
put  Nandhimitta  to  the  test,  he  let  loose  Kandula  upon  him 
(once)  when  he  saw  him  coming  towards  him.     When  the  22 

1  The  allusion  is  too  terse  for  us  to  make  any  safe  conjecture  as  to 
the  cunning  mentioned.     According  to  the  Tika  (vivahakaranale- 
sena)    the    reference   is  to   Gamani's  promising  to  his   adversary 
marriage  with  his  mother,  and  with  it  the  expectation  of  government. 

2  On  saccakiriya  see  note  to  18.  39. 

3  Near  the  northern  bank  of  the  Kalavapi  (Kaluwsewa),  about  24 
miles  SSE.  from  Anuradhapura. 


172  Mahavamsa  xxv.  23 

elephant  came  to  overpower  him,  Nandhimitta  seized  with 
his   hands  his   two  tusks  and  forced  him  on  his  haunches. 

23  Since   Nandhimitta   fought   with   the   elephant   the   village 
built  on  the  spot  where  (it  came  to  pass)  is  therefore  named 
Hatthipora. 

24  When  the  king  had  (thus)  put  them  both  to  the  test  he 
marched   to   Vijitanagara.     Near   the    south   gate    befell   a 

25  fearful  battle  between  the  warriors.     But  near  the  east  gate 
did  Velusumana,  sitting  on  his  horse,  slay  Damilas  in  great 
numbers. 

26  The  Damilas  shut  the  gate  and  the  king  sent  thither  his 
men.      Kandula  and  Nandhimitta    and   Suranimila,  at   the 

27  south  gate,  and  the  three,  Mahasona,  Gotha  and  Theraputta, 

28  at  the  three  other  gates  did  their  (great)  deeds.     The  city 
had  three  trenches,  was  guarded  by  a  high  wall,  furnished 
with  gates  of  wrought  iron,  difficult  for  enemies  to  destroy. 

29  Placing  himself  upon  his  knees  and  battering  stones,  mortar 
and  bricks  with  his  tusks  did  the  elephant  attack  the  gate  of 

30  iron.    But  the  Damilas  who  stood  upon  the  gate- tower  hurled 
down  weapons  of  every  kind,  balls  of  red-hot  iron  and  molten 

31  pitch.    When  the  smoking  pitch  poured  on  his  back  Kandula, 
tormented  with  pains,  betook  him  to  a  pool  of  water  and 
dived  there. 

32  '  Here  is  no  sura-draught1  for  thee,  go  forth  to  the  destroy- 
ing of  the  iron  gate,  destroy  the  gate  ! '  thus  said  Gothaimbara 

33  to  him.     Then  did  the  best  of  elephants  again  proudly  take 
heart,  and  trumpeting  he  reared  himself  out  of  the  water  and 
stood  defiantly  on  firm  land. 

34  The  elephants'  physician  washed  the  pitch  away  and  put 
on  balm;    the    king   mounted   the    elephant    and,    stroking 

35  his   temples    with   his    hand,  he   cheered    him  on  with   the 
words:  'To  thee  I  give,  dear   Kandula,  the   lordship  over 
the  whole  island  of  Lanka/     And  when  he  had  had  choice 

36  fodder  given  to  him,  had  covered  him  with  a  cloth  and  had 
put  his  armour  on  him  and  had  bound  upon  his  skin  a  seven 


1  Sura  is  an  intoxicating  drink.    The  meaning  is:  it  is  not  for 
pleasure's  sake  that  thou  hast  come  here. 


xxv.  51          The  Victory  of  Dutthagamani  173 

times  folded  buffalo-hide  and  above  it  had  laid  a  hide  steeped  37 
in  oil  he  set  him  free.     Roaring1  like  thunder  he  came,  daring- 
danger,  and  with  his  tusks  pierced  the  panels  of  the  gate  and  38 
trampled  the  threshold  with  his  feet;  and  with  uproar  the 
gate  crashed  to  the  ground  together  with  the  arches  of  the 
gate.     The   crumbling  mass  from  the  gate- tower  that  fell  39 
upon  the  elephant's  back  did  Nandhimitta  dash  aside,  striking 
it  with  his  arms.    When  Kandula  saw  his  deed,  in  contentment  40 
of  heart  he  ceased  from  the  former  wrath  he  had  nursed  since 
he  (Nandhimitta)  had  seized  him  by  the  tusks. 

That  he  might  enter  the  town  close  behind  him  Kandula  41 
the  best  of  elephants  turned  (to  Nandhimitta)  and  looked  at 
that  warrior.     But  Nandhimitta  thought :   '  I  will  not  enter  42 
(the  town)  by  the  way  opened  by  the  elephant '  and  with  his 
arm  did   he   break   down  the  wall.      Eighteen  cubits  high  43 
and  eight  usabhas  long  it  crashed  together.     The  (elephant) 
looked  on  Suranimila,  but  he  too  would  not  (follow  in)  the 
track  but  dashed  forward,  leaping  the  wall  into  the  town.  44 
Gotha  also  and  Sona  pressed  forward,  each  one  breaking  down 
a  gate.     The  elephant  seized  a  cart-wheel,  Mitta  a  waggon-  45 
frame,  Gotha  a  cocos-palm,  Nimila  his  good  sword,  Mahasona  46 
a  palmyra-palm,  Theraputta  his  great  club,1  and  thus,  rushing 
each  by  himself  into  the  streets,  they  shattered  the  Damilas 
there. 

When  the  king  in  four  months  had  destroyed  Vijitanagara  47 
he  went  thence   to   Girilaka  and   slew  the  Damila  Giriya. 
Thence  he  marched  to  Mahelanagara  that  had  a  triple  trench  48 
and  was  surrounded  by  an  undergrowth  of  kadamba  flowers, 
possessed  but  one  gate  and  was  hard  to  come  at;  and  staying  49 
there  four  months  the  king  subdued  the  commander  of  Mahela 
by  a  cunningly  planned  battle.2     Then  n earing  Anuradhapura  50 
the  king  pitched  his  camp  south  of  the  Kasa-mountain.3  When 
he  had  made  a  tank  there  in  the  month  Jetthamula  he  held  5 1 


1  Cf.  23.  58. 

2  Mantayuddhena.      TURNOUR    translates:     'By    diplomatic 
stratagem.' 

3  On  parato  see  note  to  36.  56 ;  on  Kasapabbata,  note  to  10.  27. 


174  Mahavamsa  XXV.  52 

a  water-festival.     There  is  to   be  found  the  village  named 
Pajjotanagara. 

52  When  the  king  Elara  heard  that  king  Dutthagamani  was 
come  to  do  battle  he  called  together  his  ministers  and  said  : 

53  '  This  king  is  himself  a  warrior  and  in  truth  many  warriors 
(follow  him).     What  think  the  ministers,  what  should  we 

54  do  ? '  King  Elara's  warriors,  led  by  Dlghajantu,  resolved  :  f  To- 

55  morrow  will  we  give  battle/   The  king  Dutthagamani  also  took 
counsel  with  his  mother  and  by  her  counsel  formed  thirty-two 

56  bodies  of  troops.     In  these  the  king  placed  parasol-bearers 
and  figures  of  a  king ; l  the  monarch  himself  took  his  place 
in  the  innermost  body  of  troops. 

57  When   Elara   in  full   armour  had   mounted  his   elephant 
Mahapabbata   he   came   thither   with   chariots,   soldiers   and 

58  beasts  for  riders.     When  the  battle  began  the  mighty  and 
terrible  Dlghajantu  seized  his  sword  and  shield  for  battle, 

59  and  leaping  eighteen  cubits  up  into  the  air  and  cleaving  the 
effigy  of  the  king  with  his  sword,  he  scattered  the  first  body 

60  of  troops.     When  the  mighty  (warrior)  had  in  this  manner 
scattered  also  the  other  bodies  of  troops,  he  charged  at  the 

61  body  of  troops  with  which  king  Gamani  stood.     But  when 
he  began  to  attack  the  king,  the  mighty  warrior  Suranimila 

62  insulted  him,  proclaiming  his  own  name.2  Dlghajantu  thought : 
'  I  will  slay  him/  and  leaped  into  the  air  full  of  rage.     But 
Suranimila  held  the.  shield  toward  him  as  he  alighted   (in 

63  leaping).     But  Dlghajantu  thought:  fl  will  cleave  him  in 
twain,  together  with  the  shield, '  and  struck  the  shield  with 

64  the  sword.     Then  Suranimila3  let  go  the  shield.     And  as  he 
clove  (only)  the  shield  thus  released  Dlghajantu  fell  there, 
and  Suranimila,  springing  up,  slew  the  fallen  (man)  with  his 

65  spear.     Phussadeva  blew  his  conch  shell,  the  army  of  the 
Damilas  was  scattered ;  nay,  Elara  turned  to  flee  and  they 

1  Tika:   ranno  patirupakam  katthamayarupakam  ti,  i.e. 
wooden  figures  to  represent  the  king. 

2  The  usual  form  of  challenge  to  single  combat. 

8  In  the  original  text  of  vv.  62,  63  there  are  only  the  pronouns 
itaro,  itaro,  so,  itaro,  instead  of  the  names  Dlghajantu,  Suranimila, 
Dlghajantu,  Siiraniraila. 


xxv.  79          The  Victory  of  Dutthagamani  175 

slew  many  Damilas.     The  water  in  the  tank  there  was  dyed  66 
red  with  the  blood  of  the  slain,  therefore  it  was  known  by  the 
name  Kulantavapi.1 

King  Dutthagamani  proclaimed  with  beat  of  drum  :  '  None  67 
but  myself  shall  slay  Elara/     When  he  himself,  armed,  had  68 
mounted  the  armed  elephant  Kandula  he  pursued  Elara  and 
came  to  the  south  gate  (of  Anuradhapura). 

Near  the  south  gate  of  the  city  the  two  kings  fought;  69 
Elara  hurled  his  dart,  Gamani  evaded  it ;  he  made  his  own  70 
elephant   pierce    (Elara's)   elephant  with   his   tusks   and   he 
hurled  his  dart  at  Elara ;  and  this  (latter)  fell  there,  with  his 
elephant. 

When  he  had  thus  been  victorious  in  battle  and  had  united  71 
Lanka  under  one  rule  2  he  marched,  with  chariots,  troops  and 
beasts  for  riders,  into  the  capital.     In  the  city  he  caused  the  72 
drum  to  be  beaten,  and  when  he  had  summoned  the  people 
from  a  yojana  around  he  celebrated  the  funeral  rites  for  king 
Elara.     On  the  spot  where  his  body  had  fallen  he  burned  it  73 
with  the  catafalque,  and  there  did  he  build  a  monument  and 
ordain  worship.     And  even  to  this  day  the  princes  of  Lanka,  74 
when  they  draw  near  to  this  place,  are  wont  to  silence  their 
music  because  of  this  worship. 

When  he  had  thus  overpowered  thirty-two  Damila  kings  75 
DUTTHAGAMANI  ruled  over  Lanka  in  single  sovereignty. 

When  Vijitanagara  was  destroyed  the  hero  Dighajantuka  76 
had  told  Elara  of  the  valour  of   his  nephew,   and  to  this  77 
nephew  named    Bhalluka   he  had  sent  a   message  to  come 
hither.    When  Bhalluka  had  received  (the  message) 3  from  him  78 
he  landed  here,  on  the  seventh  day  after  the  day  of  the  burning 
of  Elara,  with  sixty  thousand  men. 

Although  he  heard  of  the  king's  death  after  he  had  landed  79 

1  I  would  now  like  to  adopt  the  form  of  this  name  as  given  in  the 
Burmese  MSS.,  as  it  gives  good  sense  :  '  End  of  the  tribe.'     The  Tika 
ed.  has  Kulatthavapi.    This,  however,  is  no  guarantee  for  the  read- 
ing of  the  MSS. 

2  Ekatapattaka,   lit.  'Being   under  one  parasol   (atapatta).' 
Cf.  ekachattena  in  v.  75. 

3  The  Tika  adds  to  tassa  the  subst.  lekhasamdesam. 


176  MaMvamsa  xxv.  80 

yet,  from  shame,  with  the  purpose :  '  I   will  do  battle/  he 

80  pressed  on  from  Mahatittha  hither.1     He  pitched  his  camp 
near  the  village  Kolambahalaka.2 

When  the  king-  heard  of  his  coming  he  marched  forth  to 

81  battle    in   full    panoply   of   war,  mounted   on   the    elephant 
Kandula,  with   warriors  mounted  on  elephants,  horses   and 
chariots,  and  with  foot-soldiers  in  great  numbers. 

82  Ummadaphussadeva,  who  was  the  best  archer    in  all  the 
island  (followed)  armed  with  the  five  weapons,3  and  the  rest 

83  of  the  heroes  followed  him  (also).     While  the  raging  battle 
went   forward   Bhalluka   in   his  armour  came    at  the  king 

84  there ;    but  Kandula,  the  king  of  elephants,  to  weaken  his 
onslaught,  yielded  his  ground  quite  slowly  and  the  army  with 

85  him  drew  also  back  quite  slowly.    The  king  said  :  '  Aforetime 
in  twenty-eight  battles  he  has  never  retreated,  what  may  this 

86  be,  Phussadeva?'    And  he  answered:   '  Victory  lies  behind 
us,  O  king ;  looking  to  the  field  of  victory  the  elephant  draws 

87  back,  and  at  the  place  of  victory  he  will  halt/     And  when 
the  elephant  had  retreated  he  stood  firm  beside  (the  shrine  of) 
the  guardian  god  of  the  city  within  the  precincts  of   the 
Mahavihara. 

88  When  the  king  of  elephants  had  halted  here  the  Damila 
Bhalluka  came  toward  the  king  in  that  place  and  mocked  at 

89  the  ruler  of  the  land.     Covering  his  mouth  with  his  sword  the 
king  returned  insult  for  insult.    '  I  will  send  (an  arrow4)  into 

90  the  king's  mouth/  thought  the  other,  and  he  let  fly  an  arrow. 
The  arrow  struck  on  the  sword-blade  and  fell  to  the  ground. 
And  Bhalluka,  who  thought :  '  He  is  struck  in  the  mouth/ 

91  uttered  a  shout  for  joy.     But  the  mighty  Phussadeva  sitting 
behind  the  king,  let  fly  an  arrow  into  his  mouth  wherewith  (as 

92  the  arrow  passed)  he  lightly  touched  the  king's  ear-ring.    And 
since  he  made  him  thus  to  fall  with  his  feet  toward  the  king, 
he  let  fly  yet  another  arrow  at  the  falling  man  and  struck 

1  To  Anuradhapura.    Cf.  note  to  7.  58. 

2  It  is  called  Kolambalaka  in  33.  42,  and  was  situated  (cf.  note  to 
that  passage)  not  far  from  the  north  gate  of  Anuradhapura. 

8  See  note  to  7.  16. 

4  After  pa  te  mi '  I  let  fly1,  understand  'k  an  dam',  as  in  the  Tika. 


xxv.  105        The  Victory  of  Dutthagdmam  177 

him  in  the  knee;   and  making  him  (now)  to  turn  with  his  93 
head  toward  the  king,  thus  with  swift  hand  he  brought  him 
down.1    When  Bhalluka  had  fallen  a  shout  of  victory  went  up. 

To  make  known  his  fault  Phussadeva  himself  forthwith  cut  94 
off  the  lobe  of  his  own  ear  and  showed  the  king  the  blood 
streaming  down.  When  the  king  saw  this  he  asked :  'What  does  95 
this  mean  ?  '    '  I  have  carried  out  the  royal  justice  upon  my- 
self/ he  said  (in  answer)  to  the  ruler  of  the  land.     And  to  the  9G 
question  :  'What  is  thy  guilt  ?  '  he  answered  :  '  Striking  thy 
ear-ring.'     '  Why  hast  thou  done  this,  my  brother,  taking  as 
guilt  that  which  was  no  guilt?'  replied  the  great  king,  and  97 
in  gratitude  he  said  moreover  :  '  Great  shall  be  thy  honourable 
guerdon,  even  as  thy  arrow.' 

When  the  king,  after  winning  the  victory,  had  slain  all  98 
the  Damilas  he  went  up  on  the  terrace  of  the  palace,  and 
when,  in  the  royal  chamber  there  in  the  midst  of  the  dancers  99 
and  ministers,  he  had  sent  for  Phussadeva's  arrow  and  had 
set  it  in  the  ground  with  the  feathered  end  uppermost,  he  100 
covered  the  dart  over  and  over  with  kahapanas  2  poured  forth 
upon  it,  and  these  he  forthwith  caused  to  be  given  to  Phussadeva. 

Sitting  then  on  the  terrace  of  the  royal  palace,  adorned,  101 
lighted  with  fragrant  lamps  and  filled  with  many  a  perfume,  102 
magnificent  with  nymphs  in  the  guise  of  dancing-girls,  while  he 
rested  on  his  soft  and  fair  couch,  covered  with  costly  draperies,  103 
he,  looking  back  upon  his  glorious  victory,  great  though  it 
was,  knew  no  joy,  remembering  that  thereby  was  wrought 
the  destruction  of  millions  (of  beings). 

When  the  arahants  in  Piyahgudipa3  knew  his  thought  104 
they  sent  eight  arahants  to  comfort  the  king.  And  they,  105 
coming  in  the  middle  watch  of  the  night,  alighted  at  the 

1  Padato   katva   and  sisato   katva,  lit.  he  made  him  '  foot- 
wise  '  or  '  headwise '.     Rajanam  (Dutthagamanim)  is  dependent  on 
padato  (sisato).     On  the  first  shot  Bhalluka  fell  backwards,  so  that 
he  would  have  lain  with  his  feet  towards  Duttbagamani.    To  prevent 
this  Phussadeva  then   shot  a  second   arrow  at  him,  which   struck 
Bhalluka  in  the  knee,  even  as  he  fell,  so  that  he  now  fell  forward  on 
his  face.     From  that  moment  he  lay  in  the  posture  of  one  conquered 
and  overthrown,  or  of  a  slave  before  the  king. 

2  See  note  to  4.  13.  8  See  note  to  24  25. 

N 


178  MaJiavamsa  xxv.  106 

palace-gate.     Making  known  that  they  were  come  thither 
through  the  air  they  mounted  to  the  terrace  of  the  palace. 

106  The  great  king  greeted  them,  and  when  he  had  invited  them 
to  be  seated  and  had  done  them  reverence  in  many  ways  he 

107  asked  the  reason  of   their   coming.     'We   are   sent  by  the 
brotherhood  at  Piyafigudipa  to  comfort  thee,  O  lord  of  men/ 

108  And  thereon  the  king  said  again  to  them:  'How  shall  there 
be  any  comfort  for  me,  O  venerable  sirs,  since  by  me  was 
caused  the  slaughter  of  a  great  host  numbering  millions  ? ' 

109  'From  this  deed  arises  no  hindrance  in  thy  way  to  heaven. 
Only  one  and  a  half  human  beings  have  been  slain  here  by 

110  thee,  O  lord  of  men.     The  one  had  come  unto  the  (three) 
refuges,  the  other  had  taken  on  himself  the  five  precepts.1 
Unbelievers  and  men  of  evil  life  were  the  rest,  not  more  to  be 

111  esteemed  than  beasts.    But  as  for  thee,  thou  wilt  bring  glory  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha  in  manifold  ways  ;  therefore  cast 
away  care  from  thy  heart,  O  ruler  of  men  ! ' 

112  Thus  exhorted  by  them  the  great  king  took  comfort.   When 
he  had  bidden  them  farewell  and  had  given  them  leave  to 

113  depart  he  lay  down  again  and  thought :  *  Without  the  brother- 
hood you  shall  never  take  a  meal,'  thus  our  mother  and  father 

114  have  caused  to  swear  us  in  our  boyhood  at  the  meal.     Have 
I  ever  eaten   anything   whatsoever  without   giving   to   the 
brotherhood  of  bhikkhus  ? '    Then  he  saw  that  he  had,  all 

115  unthinkingly,  eaten  pepper  in  the  pod,  at  the  morning  meal, 
leaving  none  for  the  brotherhood ;  and  he  thought :  '  For  this 
I  must  do  penance.' 

116  Should  a  man  think  on  the  hosts  of  human  beings  murdered 
for  greed  in  countless  myriads,  and  should  he  carefully  keep 
in  mind  the  evil  (arising  from  that),  and  should  he  also  very 
carefully  keep  in  mind  the  mortality  as  being  the  murderer 
of  all,  then  will  he,  in  this  way,  shortly  win  freedom  from 
suffering  and  a  happy  condition. 

Here  ends  the  twenty-fifth  chapter,  called  ( The  Victory  of 
DutthagHmani  \  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene 
joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  See  notes  to  1.  32  and  62. 


CHAPTEE  XXVI 

THE  CONSECRATING  OF  THE  MARICAVATTI- 
VIHARA 

WHEN  that  king  of  high  renown  had  united  Lanka  in  one  1 
kingdom   he   distributed   places   of   honour   to   his   warriors 
according  to  their  rank.    The  warrior  Theraputtabhaya  would  2 
not  have  that  which  was  allotted  to  him,  and  being  asked : 
' Wherefore?'    he  answered:   'It  is  war.'     And  questioned  3 
(yet  again) :   { When  a  single  realm  is  created  what  war  is 
there  ? '   he  answered  :    e  I  will  do  battle  with  those  rebels, 
the  passions,  (battle)  wherein  victory  is  hard  to  win.'     Thus  4 
said  he,  and  again  and  again  the  king  sought  to  restrain  him. 
When  he  had  entreated  again  and  again  he  took  the  pabbajja 
with  the  king's  consent.    After  taking  the  pabbajja  he  attained  5 
in  time  to  arahantship,  and  he  lived  in  the  midst  of  five 
hundred  (bhikkhus)  who  had  overcome  the  asavas. 

When   the  week   of   the  festival   of  kingship   was   gone  6 
by  the  fearless  king  Abhaya,1  who  had  carried  out  the  conse- 
cration with  great  pomp,  went  to  the  Tissa-tank,  that  was  7 
adorned  according  to  the  festival  custom,   to   hold   festival 
plays  there  and  to  observe  the  tradition  of  crowned  kings. 

All  that  had  been  made  ready  for  the  king  and  hundreds  8 
of  offerings  did  they  place  on  the  spot  where  the  Maricavatti- 
vihara  2  (afterwards  stood).     There  in  the  very  place  where  9 
the  thupa  (afterwards)   stood  the  king's  people  who  carried 
the  spear  planted  the  splendid  spear  with  the  relic.3     When  10 
the  king  had  disported  himself  in  the  water  the  whole  day 

1  A  play  upon  the  words  abhayo  and  gatabhayo. 

2  Now  Miriswseti  in  the  south-west  part  of  Anuradhapura,  north 
of  Tissawaewa.   SMITHER,  Architectural  Remains,  Anurddhapura,  p.  19 
foil. ;  PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  294  foil. 

3  Cf.  25.  1,  with  note. 

N  2 


180  Mahdvamsa  xxvi.  11 

through,  together  with  the  women  of  the  harem,  he  said,  in 
the  evening  :  '  We  will  go  hence ;  carry  the  spear  before  us.' 

11  And  the  people  entrusted  with  (this  duty)  could  not  move 
the  spear  from  its  place ;    and  the  king's  soldiers  came  to- 

1 2  gether  and  brought  offerings  of  perfumes  and  flowers.    When 
the  king  saw  this  great  miracle,  glad  at  heart  he  appointed 
sentinels  there,  and   after  he   had    returned   forthwith  into 

13  the  city  he  built  a  cetiya  in  such  wise  that  it  enclosed  the 
spear  and  founded  a  vihara  that  enclosed  the  thupa. 

14  In  three  years  the  vihara  was  finished  and  the  ruler  of 
men  called  the  brotherhood  together  to  hold  the  festival  (on 

1 5  the  consecration)  of  the  monastery.    A  hundred  thousand  bhik- 
khus  and  ninety  thoiisand  bhikkhtinls  were  gathered  together 

16  there.     Then  in  this  assembly  the  kittg  spoke  thus  to  the 
brotherhood  :  '  Without  a  thought  of  the  brotherhood,  vener- 

1 7  able  sirs,  I  ate  pepper  in  the  pod-.     Thinking :  This  shall  be 
my  act  of  expiation,  I  have  built  the  pleasant  Maricavatti- 

18  vihara,   together    with    the   eetiya.      May   the   brotherhood 
accept  it ! '    With  these  words  he  poured  forth  the  (ceremonial) 
water  of  a  gift  and  piously  gave  the  monastery  to  the  brother- 

1 9  hood.     When  he  had  set  up  a  great  and  beautiful  hall  in  the 
vihara  and  round  about  it,  he  commanded  that  lavish  gifts 

20  should  be  given  there  to  the  brotherhood.    The  hall  was  so 
planned  that  stakes  were  set  even  in  the  water  of  the  Abhaya- 
tank,1  what  need  of  further  words  to  speak  of  the  remaining 
space  (covered)  ? 

21  When  the  ruler  of  men  had  given  food,  drink  and  so  forth, 
for  a  week,  he  offered   as  a  gift  the  whole  of  the   costly 

22  necessaries  for  samanas.2    These  necessaries  began  with  a  cost 
of  a  hundred  thousand  (kahapanas)  and  ended  with  a  cost  of 

23  a  thousand.     All    this    did  the  brotherhood    receive.     The 
money  that  was  spent  there  in  gratitude  by  the  wise  king, 

1  See  note  to  10.  84. 

2  The  most  costly  parikkhara  (see  note  to  4.  26)  was  allotted  to 
the  most  distinguished  monks  (TL  samghattheranam) ;  the  value 
was  then  graduated  according  to  the  rank  of  the  recipient.     The 
literal  translation  runs  thus:  the  parikkhara  had  at  first  (at  the 
beginning)  the  value  of  .  .  .,  at  the  end  the  value  of  .  .  .. 


xxvi.  26     Consecrating  of  the  Maricavatti-vihara      181 

who  was  a  hero  in  battle  as  in  largess,  whose  pure  heart  was 
filled  with  faith  in  the  Three  Gems,  who  desired  to  raise  the 
(Buddha's)  doctrine  to  glory,  (that  was  spent)  to  honour  the  24 
Three  Gems,  beginning  with  the  building  of  the  thupa  and 
ending  with  the  festival  of  the  vihara,  (all  this  money),  leaving  25 
aside  the  rest  of  the  priceless  (gifts),  is  reckoned  as  but  one 
less  than  twenty  kotis.1 

Treasures  which,  in  truth,  bear  on  them  the  blot  of  the  five  26 
faults 2  become,  if  they  be  acquired  by  people  who  are  gifted 
with  special  wisdom,  possessed  of  the  five  advantages  ; 3  there- 
fore let  the  wise  man  strive  to  have  them  thus. 


Here  ends  the  twenty-sixth  chapter,  called  'The  Con- 
secrating of  the  Maricavatti-vihara',  in  the  Mahavamsa, 
compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 


1  The  construction  of  the  sentence  in  vv.  23-25  is  thus:  dhanani 
tena  katanriuna   ranna  pariccattani,   ratanattayam  puje- 
tum — sesani  anagghani  (danani)  vimuiiciya  — honti  ekaya 
unavisatikotiyo.    The  instrumental  cases  yuddhe  dane  ca  su- 
rena,  surina,  ratanattaye   pasannamalacittena,  sasanujjo- 
tanatthina    are    attributes    of    ranna,    and    the    plural   neuter 
thupakarapanadito    viharamahanantani    attribute  of   dha- 
nani. 

2  According  to  the  Tlka  the  five  dangers  which  threaten  the  wealth 
are  meant :    loss  by  fire,  water,    living  creatures,   confiscation  or 
brigandage. 

3  The  construction  is:  bhoga  .  .  .  honti .  .  .  gahitasara.    The 
five  benefits  are,   according  to   the  Tika :    popularity  among  men, 
high  esteem  among  pious  men,  fame,  fidelity  in  fulfilment  of  lay- 
duties,  and  attainment  of  heaven  after  death.     These  advantages  are 
possessed  by  a  kingdom  when  well  governed. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  CONSECRATING  OF  THE  LOHAPASADA 

1  HEREUPON  the  king  called  to  mind  the  tradition  known  to 
all,  and  duly  handed  down :  ( The  thera  rich  in  merit,  ever 
intent   on   meritorious   works,   who   formed   his  resolves   in 

2  wisdom,  who  converted  the  island  did,  as  is  known,  speak 
thus  to  the  king,  my  ancestor :  "  Thy  descendant,  the  king 

3  Dutthagamani,   the   wise,   will   hereafter   found   the   Great 
Thupa,  the  splendid  Sonnamali *  a  hundred  and  twenty  cubits 

4  in  height,  and  an  uposat ha- house,   moreover,  adorned  with 
manifold   gems,  making   it   nine   stories   high,   namely  the 
Lohapasada."" 

5  Thus  thought  the  ruler  of  the  land,  and  finding,  when  he 
made  search,  a  gold  plate  kept  in  a  chest  and  laid  by  in  the 

6  palace  with  such  a  written  record  thereon,  he  commanded  that 
the   inscription   be   read   aloud :    '  When   one   hundred    and 

7  thirty-six  years  have  run  their  course,  in  future  time  will 
Kakavanna's   son,  the   ruler   of   men,  Dutthagamani,  build 

8  this  and  that  in  such  and  such  wise/     When  the  king  had 
heard  this  read  he  uttered  a  cry  of  joy  and  clapped  his  hands.2 
Then  early  in  the  morning  he  went  to  the  beautiful  Maha- 

9  megha-park,  and  when  he  had  arranged  a  gathering  together 
of  the  brotherhood  of  the  bhikkhus  he  said  to  them :  '  I  will 

10  build  for  you  a  pasada3  like  to  a  palace  of  the  gods.     Send 

1  I.e.  'provided  with  golden  garlands,1  now  Ruwanwaeli.  The  usual 
designation  in  Mah.  is  Mahathupa. 

2  For  the  sense  of  apphoteti  (  =  Skt.  a-sphotayati)  cf.  Thupa- 
vamsa,   339-10:    vamahattham   abhujitva  dakkhinahatthena 
apphotesi. 

3  See  note  to  v.  14.    The  building  was  destined  to  contain  the  cells 
of  the  bhikkhus. 


xxvii.  20     The  Consecrating  of  the  Lohapasada        183 

to  a  celestial  palace l  and  make  me  a  drawing  of  it/  The 
brotherhood  of  the  bhikkhus  sent  thither  eight  (theras)  who 
had  overcome  the  asavas. 

In  the  time  of  the  sage  Kassapa  2  a  brahman  named  Asoka,  1 1 
who  had  set  out  eight  ticket-meals3  (to  be  apportioned)  to 
the  brethren,  commanded  his  serving-woman  named  Biram :  1 2 
f  Give  of  this  continually/     When  she  had  given  these  gifts 
faithfully  her  whole  life  long  she  left  this  (world)  and  was  1 3 
reborn  as  a  lovely  maiden  in  a  gleaming  palace,  floating  in 
the   air,    (and   she    was)    continually  served   by  a  thousand 
nymphs.     Her   gem-palace  was   twelve    yojanas  high4  and  14 
measured  forty-eight  yojanas  round  about;    it  was  adorned  15 
with  a  thousand  jutting  window-chambers,  nine-storied  and 
provided  with  a   thousand   chambers,  gleaming  with   light, 
four-sided,  with  a  thousand  shell-garlands  and  with  windows  16 
as  eyes  and  provided  with  a  vedika  (adorned)  with  a  network 
of   little   bells.     In  the  middle  of  the   (building)   was   the  17 
beautiful  Ambalatthika-pasada,  visible  from  every  side,  bright 
with  pennons  hung  out.     When   the   theras,  going  to   the  18 
heaven   of   the   thirty-three   (gods),  saw  that   (palace)  they 
made  a  drawing  of  it  with  red  arsenic  upon  a  linen  cloth, 
and  they  returned,  and  being  arrived  they  showed  the  linen  19 
to  the   brotherhood.     The    brotherhood  took  the  linen  and 
sent  it  to  the  king.    Wrhen  the  king  full  of  joy  saw  it  he  went  20 

1  By  vimana  are  meant  the  palaces  serving  as  abodes  for  the  gods 
and  happy  spirits.     Cf.  the  Vimanavatthu,  note  to  14.  58. 

2  The  last  Buddha  before  Gotama  ;  see  1.  10 ;  15.  125. 

3  Salakabhatta.     See  note  to  15.  205. 

4  Here  then  we  have  a  construction  of  several  stories,  diminishing 
in  size  towards   the   top  (navabhumika!)  after  the  style  of  the 
Assyro-Babylonian  ziggarat  (RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  70 
foil. ;  PERROT  et  CHIPIEZ,  Histoire  de  VArt  dans  Vantiquite,  ii,  p.  390 
foil.)-    Such  a  building  is  the  Sat-mahal-prasada  at  Polannaruwa, 
although  belonging  to  a  later  time.    See  TENNENT,  Ceylon,  ii,  p.  588 ; 
BURROWS,  Archaeological  Report,  x,  1886,  p.  8  ;  FERGUSSON,  History 
of  Indian  and  Eastern  Architecture,  1910,  i,  p.  245;   Arch.  Survey  of 
Ceylon,  Annual  Report,  1903  (Ixv,  1908),  p.  14  foil.    The  word  pa  sad  a 
serves  now  to  designate  the  graduated  galleries  which  form  the  base 
of  t  hup  as.     See  SMITHER,  Anurddhapura,  p.  20,  &c. 


184  MaMvamsa  xxvil.  21 

to  the  splendid  arama  and  caused  the  noble  Lohapasada  to  be 
built  after  the  drawing. 

21  At  the  time  that  the  work  was  begun  the  generous  (king) 
commanded  that  eight  hundred  thousand  gold  pieces  should  be 

22  placed  at  each  of  the  four  gates ;  moreover,  at  each  gate  he  com- 
manded them  to  lay  a  thousand  bundles  of  garments  and  many 

23  pitchers  filled  with  ball-sugar,  oil,  sugar-dust,  and  honey,  and 
proclaiming,  '  No  work  is  to  be  done  here  without  reward/  he 
had  the  work  done  (by  the  people),  appraised,  and  their  wage 
given  to  them. 

24  The   pasada  was   four-sided,   (measuring)   on   each   side  a 

25  hundred  cubits,  and  even  so  much  in  height.     In  this  most 
beautiful  of  palaces  there  were  nine  stories,  and  in  each  story 

26  a  hundred  window-chambers.    All  the  chambers  were  overlaid 
with  silver  and  their  coral  vedikas l  were  adorned  with  mani- 

27  fold  precious  stones,  gay  with  various  gems  were  the  lotus- 
flowers2  on  the  (vedikas)  and  they  (the  vedikas)  were  sur- 
rounded with  rows  of  little  silver  bells. 

28  A  thousand  well-arranged  chambers  were  in   the  pasada, 

29  overlaid  with  various  gems  and  adorned  with  windows.     And 
since  he  heard  of  Vessavana's  3  chariot  which  served  as  a  car 
for  the  women,  he  had  a  gem-pavilion  set  up  in  the  middle 

30  (of  the  palace)  fashioned  in  like  manner.     It  was  adorned 
with   pillars   consisting   of   precious   stones,  on  which  were 
figures  of  lions,  tigers,  and  so  forth,  and  shapes  of  devatas; 

31  a  bordering  of   pearl   network  ran  round  the  edge  of   the 
pavilion  and  thereon  was  a  coral  vedika  of  the  kind  that  has 
been  described  above. 

32  Within  the  pavilion,  gaily  adorned  with  the  seven  gems, 
stood   a   shining   beauteous  throne  of  ivory  with  a  seat  of 

33  mountain-crystal,  and  in  the  ivory  back  (was  fashioned)  a  sun 

1  On  the  balustrades  of  the  projecting  windows,  cf.  the   descrip- 
tions in  FOUCHER,  VArt  Grfco-Bouddhique  du  Gandhdra,  fig.  100  ; 
GRUNWEDEL,  Buddhist.  Kunst,  fig.  27.     See  Appendix  D,  no.  30. 

2  For  lotus-blossoms  as  a  frequent  ornament:  FOUCHER,  in  the 
same  work,  fig.  97,  98 ;  GRUNWEDEL,  fig.  3 ;   balustrade  with  leaf- 
ornaments  on  cornices :  FOUCHER,  fig.  99. 

3  See  note  to  10.  89. 


xxvii.  45     The  Consecrating  of  the  Lohapasada        185 

in  gold,  a  moon  in  silver,  and  stars  in  pearls,  and  lotus-blossoms  34 
made  of  various  gems  were  fitly  placed  here  and  there  and 
Jataka-tales  in  the  same  place 1  within  a  festoon  of  gold. 

On   the  exceedingly  beautiful  throne  covered  with  costly  35 
cushions   was   placed   a   beautiful    fan   of    ivory,   gleaming 
(magnificently),  and  a  white  parasol  with  a  coral  foot,  resting  36 
on  mountain-crystal  and  having  a  silver  staff,  shone  forth 
over  the  throne.     On  it,  depicted  in  the  seven  gems,  were  37 
the  eight  auspicious  figures  2  and  rows  of  figures  of  beasts 
with  jewels  and  pearls  in  between ;  and  rows  of  little  silver  38 
bells   were   hung  upon   the   edge   of   the    parasol.      Palace, 
parasol,  throne,  and  pavilion  were  beyond  price. 

Costly  beds  and  chairs,  according  to  rank,  and  carpets  and  39 
coverlets  of  great  price  did  he  command  them  to  spread  about. 
The  rinsing- vessel  and  the  ladle  (belonging  thereto)  were  even  40 
of  gold ; 3  what  need  then  to  speak  of  the  other  utensils  in 
the  palace?    Surrounded  by  a  beautiful  enclosure  and  provided  41 
with  four  gateways  the  pasada  gleamed  in  its  magnificence 
like  the  hall  in  the  heaven  of  the  thirty-three  (gods).     The  42 
pasada  was  covered  over  with  plates  of  copper,  and  thence 
came  its  name  '  Brazen  palace  '. 

When  the  Lohapasada  was  ready  the  king  assembled  the  43 
brotherhood,  and  the  brotherhood  came  together  as  at  the 
consecration-festival    of    the    Maricavatti    (vihara).      Those  44 
bhikkhus  who  were  yet  simple  folk  stood  on  the  first  story, 
those  learned  in  the  tipitaka  on  the  second,  but  those  who 
had  entered  on  the  path  of  salvation  and  the  others  (stood)  45 


1  On  events  in  the  former  existences  of  the  Buddha  as  a  motive  for 
decorative  scenes  see  particularly  FOUCHER,  1.  L,  p.  270  foil.    For 
arrangements   in  the  manner    described  here,   see    CUNNINGHAM, 
Btiarhut,  plate  xl  foil. 

2  WIJESINHA  enumerates  the  attha  mangalikani:  lion,  bull, 
elephant,  water-pitcher,  fan,  standard,  conch-shell,  lamp.     The  Thu- 
pavamsa,  6425,  mentions  sirivaccha  as  the  first  (cf.  30.  65). 

8  Acamakumbhi  or  acamanakumbhi— thus  the  Thupavamsa 
542— is  a  vessel  to  hold  water  for  washing  the  feet  and  hands,  and  is 
placed  at  the  entrance  of  the  temple  (WIJESINHA).  See  M.V.  I.  25. 
19 ;  C.V.  V.  35.  4. 


186  Mahavamsa  XXVII.  46 

each  on  one  of  the  third  and  higher  stories,1  but  the  arahants 
stood  on  those  four  stories  that  were  highest  of  all. 

46  When  the  king  had  bestowed  the  pasada  on  the  brother- 
hood, after  pouring  forth  the  (ceremonial)  water  of  presenta- 
tion, he  commanded,  as  before,  a  lavish   gift  of  alms  for 

47  a  week.     That  which  was  spent  by  the  generous  king  for 
the  pasada,  leaving  aside  all  that  which  was  beyond  price,  is 
reckoned  at  thirty  kotis. 

48  The  wise  who  consider  how  marvellously  precious  is  the 
giving  of  alms,  while  the  gathering  together  of  treasures  (for 
oneself)  is  worthless,  give  alms  lavishly,  with  a  mind  freed 
from  the  fetters  (of  lust),  mindful  of  the  good  of  beings. 

Here  ends  the  twenty-seventh  chapter,  called  '  the  Con- 
secrating of  the  Lohapasada ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled 
for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  That  is,  on  the  3rd,  4th,  and  5th  stories  stood  those  who  had 
attained  to  the  first  three  stages  of  the  path:  the  so  tap  anna,  the 
sakadagamino,  and  the  anagamino.  See  notes  to  1.  33,  15.  18 
and  13.  17.  'Simple  folk'  in  verse  44  is  puthujjana,  the  un- 
converted, those  who  had  not  even  entered  on  the  path. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  OBTAINING  OF  THE  WHEREWITHAL  TO 
BUILD  THE  GREAT  THUPA 

SPENDING  a  hundred  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  the  king  1 
hereupon  commanded  a  great  and  splendid  ceremony  of  gifts 
for  the  great  Bodhi-tree.     As  he  then,  when  entering  the  2 
city,  saw  the  pillar  of  stone  raised  upon  the  place  of  the  (future) 
thupa  and  remembered  the  old  tradition,   he   became   glad, 
thinking  :  ( I  will  build  the  Great  Thupa/    Then  he  mounted  3 
the  high  terrace  (of  his  palace),  and  when  he  had  taken  his 
repast  and  had  lain  down  he  thought  thus  :  ( At  the  conquer-  4 
ing  of  the  Damilas  this  people  was  oppressed  by  me.     It  is 
not  possible  to  levy  a  tax ;    yet  if  without  a  tax  I  build  the  5 
Great  Thupa  how  shall  I  be  able  to  have  bricks  duly  made  ? ' 

As  he  thus  reflected  the  devata  of  the  parasol  observed  his  6 
thought,  and  thereupon   arose  a  tumult   among  the  gods ; 
when  Sakka  was  aware  of  this  he  said  to  Vissakamma : l 
'  King  Gamani  has  been  pondering  over  the  bricks  for  the  7 
cetiya :  Go  thou  a  yojana  from  the  city  near  the  Gambhlra- 
river  and  prepare  the  bricks  there/  2  8 

Thus  commanded  by  Sakka,  Vissakamma  came  hither  3  and 
prepared  the  bricks  in  that  very  place. 

In  the  morning  a  huntsman  there  went  into  the  forest  with  9 
his  dogs ;  the  devata  of  the  place  appeared  to  the  huntsman 
in  the    form   of   an   iguana.     The  hunter   pursued   it,  and  10 
when  he  came   (to  the  place)  and  saw  the  bricks,  and  when 
the  iguana  vanished  there,  he  thought :  '  Our  king  intends  to  1 1 
build  the  Great  Thupa ; 4  here  is  an  aid  thereto ! '    Thereupon 
he  went  and  told  (this  thing).     When  the  king,  to  whom  his  12 

1  See  note  to  18.  24.  2  See  note  to  7.  44. 

3  To  Lanka  or  to  Anuradhapura.  4  Or  '  a  great  thupa  '. 


188  Mahavamsa  xxvill.  13 

people's  good  was  dear,  heard  his  welcome  words  he,  glad  at 
heart,  bestowed  on  him  a  rich  guerdon. 

13  In  a  north-easterly  direction  from  the  city,  at  a  distance 
of  three  yojanas  and  near  Acaravitthigama,  on  a  plain  covering 

14  sixteen  kaiisas  (of  land)  there  appeared  nuggets  of  gold  of 
different  sizes;  the  greatest  measured  a  span,  the  least  were 

15  of  a  finger's  measure.     When  the  dwellers  in  the  village  saw 
the  earth  full  of  gold,  they  put  some  of  it  into  a  gold  vessel 
and  went  and  told  the  king  of  this  matter. 

16  On  the  east  side  of  the  city,  at  a  distance  of  seven  yojanas, 
on  the  further  bank  of  the  river  and  near  Tambapittha,  copper 

17  appeared.     And  the  dwellers   in   the  village  there  put  the 
nuggets  of  copper  into  a  vessel,  and  when  they  had  sought 
the  king  they  told  him  this  matter. 

18  In  a  south-easterly  direction  from  the  city,  four  yojanas 
distant,  near  the  village  of  Sumanavapi  many  precious  stones 

19  appeared.     The  dwellers  in  the  village  put  them,  mingled 
with  sapphires  and  rubies,  into  a  vessel  and  went  and  showed 
them  to  the  king. 

20  In  a  southerly  direction  from   the  city,  at  a  distance  of 
eight   yojanas,  silver  appeared  in   the   Ambatthakola-cave.1 

21  A  merchant  from  the  city,  taking  many  waggons  with  him, 
in  order  to  bring  ginger  and  so  forth  from  Malaya,  had  set 

22  out  for  Malaya.     Not  far  from   the   cave   he   brought   the 
waggons  to  a  halt  and  since  he  had  need  of  wood  for  whips 

23  he  went  up  that  mountain.     As  he  saw  here  a  branch  of 
a  bread-fruit-tree,  bearing  one  single  fruit  as  large  as  a  water- 
pitcher,  and  dragged  down  by  the  weight  of  the  fruit,  he  cut 

24  the   (fruit)   which   was   lying   on   a   stone   away   from    the 
stalk  with  his  knife,  and  thinking :  '  I  will  give  the  first 
(produce    as   alms)/    with   faith    he   announced   the    (meal) 
time.     And  there  came  thither  four  (theras)  who  were  free 

1  Where  the  Rajatalena-vihara  (Mah.  35.  4)  was  afterwards  built, 
now  the  Ridi-vihara  (Silver  Monastery),  to  the  north-east  of  Kurunsegala, 
cf.  E.  MULLER,  Ancient  Inscriptions  in  Ceylon,  p.  39  ;  TURNOUR,  Mah. 
Index,  s.v.  Ambatthakola ;  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Ancient  Coins,  &c.,  p.  17. 
The  distance  between  Anuradhapura  and  Ridi-vihara  is  55  miles 
=  95  km.  as  the  crow  flies. 


xxvin  39     Wherewithal  to  build  the  Great  Thupa    189 

from  the  asavas.     When  he  had  greeted  them  gladly  and  25 
had  invited  them  with  all  reverence  to  be  seated,  he  cut  away 
the  rind  around  the  stalk  with  his  knife  and  tore  out  the  26 
bottom  (of  the  fruit),  and  pouring  the  juice  which  filled  the 
hollow  forth  into  their  bowls  he  offered  them  the  four  bowls 
filled  with  fruit- juice.   They  accepted  them  and  went  their  way.  2  7 
Then  he  yet  again *  announced  the  (meal)  time.     Four  other 
theras,  free  from  the  asavas,  appeared  before  him.   He  took  their  2  8 
alms-bowls  and  when  he  had  filled  them  with  the  kernels  of 
the  bread-fruit  he  gave  them  back.     Three  went  their  way, 
but  one  did  not  depart.     In  order  to  show  him  the  silver  he  29 
went  further  down  and  seating  himself  near  the  cave  he  ate 
the  kernels.    When  the  merchant  also  had  eaten  as  he  wished  30 
of  the  kernels  that  were  left,  and  had  put  the  rest  in  a  bundle,  he 
went  on,  following  the  track  of  the  thera,  and  when  he  saw  the  31 
thera  he  showed  him  the  (usual)  attentions.    The  thera  opened 
a  path  for  him  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern :  f  Go  thou  now  32 
also  on  this  path,  lay  brother  I '   When  he  had  done  reverence 
to  the  thera  he  went  that  way  and  saw  the  cave.     Standing  33 
by  the  mouth  of  the  cave  and  seeing  the  silver  he  struck  upon 
it  with  his  axe,  and  when  he  knew  it  to  be  silver  he  took  34 
a  lump  of  the  silver  and  went  to  his  freight-waggons.     Then 
leaving  the  waggons  behind  and  taking  the  lump  of  silver 
with  him  the  excellent  merchant  went  in  haste  to  Anuradha-  35 
pura   and  told  the  king  of  this  matter,  showing  him  the 
silver. 

In  a  westerly  direction  from  the  city,  at  a  distance  o£  five  36 
yojanas,  near  the  landing-place  Uruvela,2  pearls  in  size  like 
to  great  myrobalan  fruits,  mingled  with  coral,  six  waggon-  37 
loads,  came  forth  to  the  dry  land.     Fishermen  who  saw  them 
piled  them  together  in  a  heap,  and  taking  the  pearls  together  38 
with  coral  in  a  vessel  they  went  to  the  king  and  told  him  of 
this  matter. 

In  a  northerly  direction  from  the  city,  at  a  distance  of  39 

1  Pan  a  should  probably  be  altered  to  puna. 

2  According  to  our  passage  the  site  of  Uruvela  seems  to  be  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Kala-oya,  which  is  distant  about  40  miles,  as  the  crow 
flies,  from  Anuradhapura. 


190  MaMvamsa  xxvm.  40 

seven  yojanas,  in  a  cave  opening  on  the  Pelivapikagama-1 

40  tank,  above  on  the  sand,  four  splendid  gems  had  formed  in 
size   like  to   a  small  mill-stone,  in   colour  like  flax-flowers, 

41  (radiantly)   beautiful.     When   a  hunter  with   his   dogs  saw 
these   he   came  to  the   king  and   told  him :    *  I   have   seen 
precious  stones  of  such  and  such  a  kind/ 

42  The  lord  of  the  land,  rich  in  merit,  heard,  on  one  and  the 
same   day,    that   the   bricks   and   the   other  (treasures)   had 

43  appeared  for  the  Great  Thupa.     Glad  at  heart  he  bestowed 
due  reward  upon  those  people,  and  appointing  them  forthwith 
as  watchers  he  had  the  treasures  all  brought  to  him. 

44  Merit,  that  a  man  has  thus  heaped  up  with  believing  heart, 
careless  of  insupportable   ills  of   the   body,  brings   to    pass 
hundreds  of  results  which  are  a  mine  of  happiness ;  therefore 
one  must  do  works  of  merit  with  believing  heart. 

Here  ends  the  twenty-eighth  chapter,  called '  the  Obtaining 
of  the  wherewithal  to  build  the  Great  Thupa ',  in  the  Maha- 
vamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the 
pious. 

1  The  Pelivapi  is  the  present  Vavunik-kulam,  a  little  over  50  miles 
north  of  Anuradhapura.  The  river,  of  which  the  damming-up  has 
formed  the  tank,  is  called  Pali-am.  PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon, 
pp.  256,  365-366. 


CHAPTEE  XXIX 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  GREAT  THUPA 

WHEN  the  wherewithal  to  build  was  thus  brought  together  1 
he  began  the  work  of  the  Great  Thupa  on  the  full-moon  day 
of  the  month  Vesakha,1  when  the  Visakha-constellation  had 
appeared.    When  he  had  ordered  to  take  away  the  stone  pillar  2 
the  lord  of  the  land  had  the  place  for  the  thupa  dug  out  to 
a   depth   of   seven  cubits2  to  make  it   firm   in  every  way. 
Round  stones  that  he  commanded  his  soldiers  to  bring  hither  3 
did  he  cause  to  be  broken  with  hammers,  and  then  did  he, 
having  knowledge  of  the  right  and  the  wrong  ways,  command  4 
that  the  crushed  stone,  to  make  the  ground  firmer,  be  stamped 
down  by  great  elephants  whose  feet  were  bound  with  leather. 

The  fine  clay  that  is  to  be  found  on  the  spot,  for  ever  5 
moist,  where  the  heavenly  Ganga  falls  down  (upon  the  earth 3) 
(on  a  space)  thirty  yojanas  around,  is  called  because  of  its  fine-  6 
ness,  ( butter-clay/    Samaneras  who  had  overcome  the  asavas, 
brought  the  clay  hither  from  that  place.    The  king  commanded  7 
that  the  clay  be  spread  over  the  layer  of  stones  and  that  bricks 
then  be  laid  over  the  clay,  over  these  a  rough  cement  and  over  8 
this  cinnabar,4  and  over  this  a  network  of  iron,  and  over  this 
sweet-scented  marumba 5  that  was  brought  by  the  samaneras  9 

1  See  note  to  1.  12. 

2  The   reading    sattahatthe    is    undoubtedly  the   correct   ont. 
WIJESINHA.  (note  to  this  passage)  says:  the  Tika  has  sata.     That, 
however,  is  not  the  case.    It  also  reads  satta. 

3  The  idea  is  that  the  Ganga  flows  through  the  atmosphere,  the 
earth  and  underworld. 

4  Kuruvinda  is  '  ruby  '  or  '  cinnabar  '. 

6  Marumba  is  used  (C.V.V.14.5;  35.4;  VI.  3.  8)  for  besprinkling 
a  damp  parivena  (living-cell).  At  Pacittiya  X.  2  (Vin.  Pit.  iv, 
p.  33)  pasana,  sakkhara,  kathala,  marumba,  valika  follow  one 
upon  another. 


192  Mahdvamsa  xxix.  10 

from  the  Himalaya.     Over  this  did  the  lord  of  the  land  com- 

10  mand  them  to  lay  mountain-crystal.    Over  the  layer  of  moun- 
tain-crystal he  had  stones  spread ;  everywhere  throughout  the 

1 1  work  did  the  clay  called  butter-clay  serve  (as  cement).     With 
resin  of   the  kapittha-tree,1  dissolved   in  sweetened  water,2 

12  the  lord  of  chariots  laid  over  the  stones  a  sheet  of  copper 
eight  inches  thick,  and  over  this,  with  arsenic  dissolved  in 
sesamum-oil,  (he  laid)  a  sheet  of  silver  seven  inches  thick. 

13  When  the  king,  glad  at  heart,  had  thus  had  preparation 
made  upon  the  spot  where  the  Great  Thupa  was  to  be  built, 

14  he  arranged,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  bright  half  of  the 
month   Asalha,   an    assembly   of    the    brotherhood    of    the 

15  bhikkhus,  and  spoke  thus:  *  To-morrow,  venerable  sirs,  I  shall 
lay  the  foundation-stone  of  the  Great  Cetiya.     Then  let  our 

16  whole  brotherhood  assemble  here,  to  the  end  that  a  festival 
may  be  held  for  the  Buddha,  mindful  of  the  weal  of  the  people ; 
and  let  the  people  in  festal  array,  with  fragrant  flowers  and 

1 7  so  forth,  come  to-morrow  to  the  place  where  the  Great  Thupa 
will  be  built/ 

He  entrusted  ministers  3  with  the  adorning  of  the  place  of 

18  the  cetiya.     Commanded  by  the  lord  of   men,  they,  filled 
with  deep  reverence  for  the   Sage  (Buddha),  adorned   the 

1 9  place  in  manifold  ways.     The  whole  city  also  and  the  streets 
leading  thither   did    the   king   command  to  be  adorned  in 

20  manifold  ways.     On  the  following  morning  he  placed  at  the 
four  gates  of  the  city  many  barbers  and  servants  for  the 

21  bath  and  for  cutting  the  hair,  clothes  likewise  and  fragrant 
flowers  and  sweet  foods  (did)  the  king  (place  there)  for  his 

22  people's  good,  he  v\  ho  rejoiced  in  the  people's  welfare.  Taking, 
according  to  their  wish,  the  things  thus  put  before  them, 
townsfolk  and  country-people  went  to  the  place  of  the  thupa. 

23  The   king   supported,   in   order  of   their   rank,   by  many 

24  ministers,  richly  clothed  as  befitted  their  office,  surrounded 

1  Feronia  Elephantum. 

2  Rasodaka  is  translated  by  TURNOUR  'water  of  the  small  red 
cocoanut '.    The  Tika  gives  no  explanation. 

3  The  Tika,  following  the  Atthakatha,  gives  their  names,  Visakha 
and  Sirideva. 


xxix.  36      The  Beginning  of  the  Great  Thitpa  193 

by  many   dancers  richly  clothed    like   to   celestial   nymphs, 
(he   himself)  being-   clad   in  his   state-raiment,  attended    by  25 
forty  thousand   men,   while  around   him   crashed  the  music 
(he  being)  glorious  as  the  king  of  the  gods;  in  the  evening  26 
he  who  had  knowledge  of  fit  and  unfit  places  went  to  the 
place  of  the  Great  Thupa,1  delighting  the  people  (with  the 
sight).     A  thousand  and  eight  waggon-loads  of  clothes  rolled  27 
in  bundles  did  the  king  place  in  the  midst,  and  on  the  four 
sides  he  had  clothes  heaped  up  in  abundance;  and  moreover  28 
he  had  honey,  clarified  butter,  sugar  and  so  forth  set  (there) 
for  the  festival. 

From  various  (foreign)  countries  also  did  many  bhikkhus  29 
come   hither;    what   need   to    speak  of   the   coming  of  the 
brotherhood  living  here  upon  the  island  ?     With  eighty  thou-  30 
sand  bhikkhus  from  the  region  of  Rajagaha  2  came  the  thera 
Indagutta,  the  head  of  a  great  school.      From   Isipatana3  31 
came  the  great  thera  Dhammasena  with    twelve   thousand 
bhikkhus  to  the  place  of  the  cetiya. 

With  sixty  thousand  bhikkhus  came  hither  the  great  thera  32 
Piyadassi  from  the  Jetarama-vihara.4     From  the  Mahavana  33 
(monastery)  in  Vesall 5  came  the  thera  Urubuddharakkhita 6 
with  eighteen  thousand  bhikkhus.     From  the  Ghositarama  in  34 
KosambI7  came  the  thera  Urudhammarakkhita  with   thirty 
thousand  bhikkhus.    From  the  Dakkhinagiri  in  UjjenI8  came  35 
the  thera  Urusamgharakkhita  with  forty  thousand  ascetics. 
With  a  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  bhikkhus  came  the  36 

1  We  should  rather  expect  Mahathupapatitthanatthanam 
thanavicakkhano:  'he  went  to  the  place  where  the  Great  Thupa 
should  be  built,  having  knowledge  of  (fitting)  places.' 

2  Cf.  note  to  2.  6. 

3  A  park  and   afterwards  a  monastery  near  BarSnasi   (Benares) 
where  the  Buddha  had  preached  his  first  sermon.     M.V.  I.  6.  6  foil. 

*  I.  e.  Jetavana.     See  note  to  1.  44. 

5  See  note  to  4.  9.    Also  M.V.  VI.  30.  6  ;  C.V.  V.  13. 3,  and  in  many 
other  places. 

6  I.  e.  Mahabuddharakkhita. 

7  See  note  to  4.  17  ;  M.V.  X.  1.  1 ;  C.V.  I.  25.  1,  and  often. 

8  See  note  to  5.  39 ;  13.  5.    Notice  that  the  names  of  the  three 
theras  in  33,  34,  35,  contain  the  words  buddha,  dhamma,  samgha. 

o 


194  Mahdvamsa  xxix.  37 

thera  named  Mittinna  from  the  Asokarama  in  Pupphapura.1 

37  From  the  Kasmira  country  came  the  thera  Uttinna  brin^m"" 

«/  •    •  O         O 

38  with  him  two  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  bhikkhus.     The 
wise  Mahadeva  came  from  Pallavabhogga  2  with  four  hundred 

39  and  sixty  thousand  bhikkhus,  and  from  Alasanda3  the  city 
of  the  Yonas  came  the  thera  Yonamahadhammarakkhita  with 

40  thirty  thousand  bhikkhus.      From  his  dwelling-  by  the  road 
through  the  Viiijha  forest  mountains/  came  the  thera  Uttara 
with  sixty  thousand  bhikkhus. 

41  The  great  thera  Cittagutta  came  hither  from  the  Bodhi- 

42  manda-vihara 5  with  thirty  thousand   bhikkhus.     The  great 
thera  Candagutta  came  hither  from  the  Vanavasa 6  country 

43  with  eighty  thousand  ascetics.     The  great  thera  Suriyagutta 
came  from  the  great  Kelasa-vihara  with  ninety-six  thousand 

44  bhikkhus.     As  for  the  number  of  the  bhikkhus  dwelling  in 
the  island  who  met  together  from  every  side,  no  strict  account 

45  has  been   handed  down  by  the  ancients.     Among  all   these 
bhikkhus  who  were  met  in  that  assembly  those  alone  who  had 
overcome  the  asavas,  as  it  is  told,  were  ninety-six  kotis. 

46  These  bhikkhus  stood  according  to  their  rank  around  the 
place  of  the  Great  Thupa,  leaving  in  the  midst  an  open  space 

47  for  the  king.     As  the  king  stepped  into  this  (space)  and  saw7 

1  I.e.  Pataliputta  ;  see  note  to  4.  31.     For  Asokarama,  cf.  5.  80. 

2  Pallava  is  the  name  of  the  Persians  =  Skt.  Pallava  or  Pahlava. 
Bhoggam  is  perhaps  'fief;    cf.  rajabhoggam  in  D.I.  879  and 
often  elsewhere. 

3  Alexandria  in  the  land  of  the  Yonas,  i.  e.  the  Greeks,  probably  the 
town    founded    by  the    Macedonian   king  in    the    country  of  the 
Paropanisadae  near  Kabul.    See  ARRIAN,  Anabasis  iii.  28,  iv.  22. 

4  I.  e.  Vindhya.     See  19.  6  with  note. 

5  A   monastery  built   near  the  bodhimanda  at   Bodhgaya,  the 
place  where  Gotama  attained  to  Buddhaship. 

6  See  note  to  12.  31. 

7  The  Tika  gives  here  (from  the  Atthakatha)  the  following  peculiar 
explanation:    'As  the  king  steps  into  the  middle  of  the  circle  he 
expresses  the  following  wish  :  if  his  work  is  to  come  to  a  happy  issue 
then,  as  a  sign  thereof,  may  theras  who  bear  the  name  of  the  Buddha, 
his  doctrine  and  his  order,  take  their  places  on  the  east,  south,  and 
west  sides ;  but  on  the  north  side  a  thera  with  the  name  of  Ananda, 
thd  Buddha's  beloved  disciple.     Each  bhikkhu  shall  be  surrounded  by 


xxix.  58      Uie  Beginning  of  the  Great  TJmpa          195 

the  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus  standing  thus  he  greeted  them 
joyfully,  with  believing  heart;  when  he  had  then  duly  offered  48 
them  fragrant  flowers  and  had  passed  round  them  three  times, 
turning  to  the  left,1  he  went  into  the  midst,  to  the  consecrated 
place  of  the  ' filled  pitcher'.     Then  forthwith  uplifted  by  the  49 
power  of  pure   gladness  he,  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  the 
beings,  commanded  that  the  pure  turning  staff  (for  tracing 
the  circular  boundary),  made  of  silver  and  secured  (by  means  50 
of  a  rope)   to  a  post  of  gold,  be  grasped  by  a  minister  of 
noble  birth,  well  attired  and  in  festival   array,2  and,  being  51 
resolved  to  allot  a  great  space  for  the  cetiya,  he  ordered  him 
to  walk  round  (with  the  turning  staff  in  his  hands)  along  the 
ground  already  prepared.3     But  the  great  thera  of  wondrous  52 
power  named  Siddhattha,  the  far-seeing,  prevented  the  king 
as  he  did  this.     Reflecting  :  '  If  our  king  shall  begin  to  build  53 
so  great  a  thupa  death  will  come  upon  him,  ere  the  thupa  be 
finished ;  moreover,  so  great  a  thupa  will  be  hard  to  repair/  54 
he,  looking  to  the  future,  prevented  (the  measuring  of)  that 
great  dimension.      In  agreement  with  the  brotherhood  and  55 
from  reverence  toward  the  thera,  the  king,  though  he  would 
fain  have  made  (the  thupa)  great,  hearkened  to  the  thera's 
word  and  did,  according  to  the  thera's  instruction,  allot   a  56 
moderate  space  for  the  cetiya,   that  the  (foundation)  stones 
might  be  laid. 

Eight  vases  of  silver  and  eight  (vases)  of  gold  did  he,  with  57 
tireless  zeal,  place  in  the  midst,  and  in  a  circle  around  these  he  58 
placed  a  thousand  and  eight  new  vases,  and  likewise  (around 

a  troop  of  companions  of  the  same  name.  The  king's  wish  is  fulfilled.' 
The  theras  in  question  and  their  companions  are  called  (cf.  Tika, 
pp.  383-384  and  above  v.  33  foil.)  Mahabuddharakkhita,  Mahadhainma- 
rakkhita,  Mahasamgharakkhita,  and  Mahananda. 

1  Katvana  tipadakkhinam.     See  note  to  18.  36. 

2  Tika:    Abhimarigalabhutena  ti,  janehi  pinitatta  abhi- 
mangalasammatehi  ahatavatthadihi  alamkarehi  patiman- 
ditatta  ca  samangaliko  ti  'he  was  samangalika  because  he 
was  liked  by  the  people  and  because  he  was   adorned  with  orna- 
ments that  were  believed  to  be  festival,  as  new  garments  (not  washed 
before)  and  so  forth '. 

3  And  to  draw,  in  this  way,  the  circular  outline  of  the  thupa. 

o  2 


196  MaMvamsa  xxix.  59 

59  each  of  these)  a  hundred  and  eight  garments.1    Eight  splendid 
bricks  did  he  lay,  each  one  apart  by  itself.2   When  he  then  had 

60  commanded  an  official  chosen  for  this  and  adorned  in  every  way 
to  take  one  of  them,  he  laid  on  the  east  side,  which  had  been 

61  prepared  with  many  ceremonies,  the  first  foundation  stone,3 
solemnly,  upon  the  sweet-smelling  clay. 

When  jasmine-flowers4  had  been  offered  on  that  spot  an 

62  earthquake  came  to  pass.     And  he  caused  the  other  seven 
(stones)  to  be  laid  by  seven  (other)  ministers  and  ceremonies  (of 

63  consecration)  to  be  carried  out.     Thus  he  caused  the  stones 
to  be  laid  on  the  day  appointed,  the  fifteenth  uposatha  day 
in  the  bright  half  of  the  month  Asalha. 

64  When  he  had  reverentially  greeted  the  four  great  theras 
who   were   free   from  the   asavas,  who  stood   there   at   the 
four  heavenly  quarters,  and  when  he  had   honoured   them 

65  with  gifts  he  came  in  due  course,  greatly  rejoicing,  to  the 
north-east  side,  and  when  he  (here)  had  greeted  the  great 
thera  Piyadassi,  who  was  free  from  the  asavas,  he  took  his 

66  place  near  him.     Exalting  the  festival  ceremony  there  this 
thera  preached  the  true  doctrine  to  him ;  the  preaching  of  the 

67  thera  was  rich  in  blessing  for  the  people.     The  conversion  of 
forty  thousand  to  the  true  doctrine  took  place,  and  (yet)  forty 
thousand  (more)  became  partakers  in  the  fruit  of  entering 

68  into  the  path  of  salvation.5    A  thousand  lay-folk  became  even 

1  According  to  the  Tika  from  atthuttare  atthuttare  to  visum 
visum  is  to  be  read  as  ONE  sentence,  so  that  the  stop  after  pan  a  (in 
58  d)  in  the  edition  should  be  deleted.     In  this  case  we  must  add  in 
58c,d  a  second  parivariya  with  the  meaning:    Maying  around 
(them),'  and  the  translation  would  be  'and  in  a  circle  around  these  he 
placed  a  thousand  and  eight  new  vases,  and  eight  splendid  bricks  did 
he  lay,  each  one  apart  by  itself,  (laying  in  a  circle  around)  each  of 
them  a  hundred  and  eight  garments  '. 

2  Namely  East,  NE.,  N.,  and  so  forth.    The   stones  are   called 
pavara  as  they  were  of  gold. 

8  According  to  the  Tika  the  thera  Mittasena  had  mixed  the  clay 
(gandhapinda),  the  thera  Jayasena  had  poured  the  water  on  it. 

4  Jati    and    sumana    are    both    names   for    Jasminum    grandi- 
florum. 

5  They  attained  to  the   first  stage   of  sanctification.     See   notes 
to  1.  32  and  33. 


xxix.  70     The  Beginning  of  the  Great  Ttmpa,  197 

such  as  have  but  one  (earthly)  existence  before  them,  a  thou- 
sand  became  such  as  have  no  other  (earthly)  existence  (to 
come),   and   a   thousand   also    became    arahants.1     Eighteen  69 
thousand  bhikkhus  and  fourteen  thousand  bhikkhums  attained 
to  arahantship. 

Even  so  may  every  one  whose  heart  is  inclined  to  (faith  in)  70 
the  Three  Gems,  knowing  that  by  a  benefactor  of  mankind, 
whose  heart  is  set  on  generous  giving,  the  highest  blessing  is 
brought  to  pass  for  the  world,  strive  toward  the  attainment 
of  many  virtues,  as  faith  and  so  forth. 

Here  ends  the  twenty-ninth  chapter,  called  '  The  beginning 
of  the  Great  Thupa',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the 
serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  They  attained  to  the  second  and  third,  and  to  the  last  and  highest 
stage  of  sanctification.     See  notes  to  15.  18  and  13.  17. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE   MAKING   OF  THE   RELIC-CHAMBER 

1  WHEN  the  great  king  had  reverentially  greeted  the  whole 
brotherhood  he  invited  them,  saying :  '  Even  till  the  cetiya  is 

2  finished  accept  ye  alms  from  me/     The  brotherhood  would 
not  consent ;   when   he  then  by  degrees l  prayed   (them   to 

3  accept)  for  a  week  he  won  acceptance,  for  one  week,  by  the 
half  of  the  bhikkhus.     When  he  had  obtained  this  from  them 

4  he,  satisfied,  had  pavilions  set  up  in  eighteen  places  around 
the  place  of  the  thupa  and  commanded  there,  for  one  week, 
lavish  gifts  to  the  brotherhood.    Then  he  gave  the  brotherhood 
leave  to  depart. 

5  Thereupon  commanding  that  the  drums  be  beaten  he  called 
the  master-builders  together  with  all  speed ;  in  number  they 

6  were  five  hundred.     And  one  of  them  answered  the  king,  on 
his  asking :  '  How  wilt  thou  make  (the  thupa)  ? '  (  Taking  a 

7  hundred  workmen  I  will  use  one  waggon -load  of  sand  in 
one  day/ 

The  king  rejected  him.2     Thereon  they  offered  (to  work 
with)  one  half  less  and  yet  one  half  less  again,  and  (at  last 

8  with)  two  ammanas  3  of  sand.    These  four  master-builders  also 
did  the  king  reject.    Then  an  experienced  and  shrewd  master- 

9  builder  said   to  the  king :    '  I  shall  pound   (the   sand)   in  a 
mortar,  and  then,  when  it  is  sifted,  have  it  crushed  in  the 
mill  and  (thus  will  use)  one  ammana  (only)  of  sand/ 

1  I.e.  limiting  his  invitation  more  and  more. 

2  The  use  of  too  much  sand  would  tell  against  the  durability  of  the 
thupa.      Therefore   the  Tika  makes  the  king  say  to  the   master- 
builder  :  *  Shouldst  thou  do  so  the  cetiya  would  be  like  a  heap  of  pure 
sand  and  would  be  covered  with  grass  and  bushes.' 

3  As  a  measure  of  capacity.     The  Abhidhanappadipika  484  defines 
the  ammana  as  11  dona.     The  dona  is  64  pasata,  i.e.  handfuls. 
Cf.  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Ancient  Coins  and  Measures  of  Ceylon,  pp.  17-18. 


xxx.  23       The  Making  of  the  Relic-Chamber  199 

And  on  these  words  the  lord  of  the  land,  whose  courage  10 
was  like  to  Indra's,  consented,  with  the  thought :  '  There  will 
be   no   grass   nor   any   such   thing  on  our  cetiya/   and    he  11 
questioned  him  saying:   fln  what  form  wilt  thou  make  the 
cetiya  ?'     At  that  moment  Vissakamma1   entered  into  (and 
possessed)  him.     When  the  master-builder  had  had  a  golden  12 
bowl  filled  with  water,  he  took  water  in  his  hand  and  let 
it  fall  on  the  surface  of  the  water.     A  great  bubble  rose  up  1 3 
like  unto   a  half -globe   of   crystal.      He   said:    'Thus    will 
I  make  it.'     And  well-pleased  the  king   bestowed  on  him  14 
a  pair  of  garments  worth  a  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  and 
ornamented  shoes  and  twelve  thousand  kahapanas. 

'  How  shall  I  have  the  bricks  transported  without  laying  1 5 
burdens  on  the  people  ?'     Thus  pondered  the  king  in  the 
night-time ;  when  the  gods  were  aware  of  this  they  brought  1 6 
night  after  night  bricks  to  the  four  gates  of  the  cetiya  and 
laid  them  down  there,  always  as  many  as  sufficed  for  one  day. 
When  the  king  heard  this,  glad  at  heart,  he  began  work  on  17 
the  thupa.     And  he  made  it  known  :  (  Work  shall  not  be  done 
here  without  wage/     At  every  gate  he  commanded  to  place  18 
sixteen  hundred  thousand   kahapanas,  very  many  garments, 
different  ornaments,  solid  and  liquid  foods  and  drink  withal,  19 
fragrant   flowers,  sugar   and    so    forth,    as   well    as  the  five 
perfumes  for  the  mouth. 

'  Let  them  take  of  these  as  they  will    when   they   have  20 
laboured  as  they  will/     Observing  this  command  the  king's 
work-people  allotted  (the  wages). 

A  bhikkhu  who  wished  to  take  part  in  the  building  of  the  2 1 
thupa  took  a  lump  of  clay  which  he  himself  had  prepared,2 
went  to  the  place  of  the  cetiya,  and  deceiving  the  king's  22 
work-people,  he  gave  it  to  a  workman.    So  soon  as  he  received 
it  he  knew  what  it  was/  perceiving  the  bhikkhu's  design.  23 


1  Cf.  the  note  to  18.  24.     Thus  it  is  the  god  who  acts  and  speaks 
through  the  medium  of  the  master-builder. 

2  I.e.  had  kneaded  and  mixed.    As  he  received  no  wage  for  this  he 
hoped  to  have  a  share  in  the  meritorious  work  of  building  the  thupa. 

3  He  recognized  the  brick  by  the  difference  in  the  composition. 


200  Mahavamsa  xxx.  24 

A  dispute  arose  there.     When  the  king  afterwards  heard  this 
he  came  and  questioned  the  workman. 

24  '  Sire,  with  flowers  in  the  one  hand  the  bhikkhus  are  used 

25  to  give  me  a  piece  of  clay  with  the  other;   but  I  can  only 
know  (just  so  much)  whether  he  be  a  bhikkhu  from  another 
land  or  of  this  country,  Sire/  l 

26  When  the  king  heard  this  word  he  appointed  an  overseer 
to  show  him  the  ascetic  who  had  offered  the  lump  of  clay. 
The  other  showed  him  to  the  overseer  and  he  told  the  king. 

2  7  The  king  had  three  pitchers  with  jasmine-blossoms  placed  in  the 
courtyard  of  the  sacred  Bodhi-tree  and  bade  the  overseer  give 

28  them  to  the  bhikkhu.2   When  the  bhikkhu,  observing  nothing, 
had  offered  them,  the  overseer  told  him  this  while  he  yet  stood 
there.     Then  did  the  ascetic  understand. 

29  A  thera  living  in  Piyahgalla  in  the  Kotthivala  district,  who 
also  wished  to  take  part  in  the  work  of  building  the  cetiya 

30  and  who  was  a  kinsman  of  that  brick- worker,  came  hither  and 
when  he  had  made  a  brick  in  the  size  (such  as  was  used  there) 

31  after  having  learned  (the  exact  measure)  he,  deceiving  the 
work-people,  gave  it  to  the  workman.     This  man  laid  it  on 
its  place  (in  the  thupa),  and  a  quarrel  arose  (on  this  matter). 

32  When   the    king   knew   this   he   asked :    *  Is  it   possible   to 
recognize  the  brick  ? '     Although  the  workman  knew  it,  he 

33  answered  the  king  :    '  It  is  impossible/      To  the  question  : 
'  Dost  thou  know  the  thera  ?  '  he  answered  :  ( Yes/     So  that 
he  might  bs  made  known  the  king  placed  an  overseer  near 

34  him.     When  the  overseer  had  thereby  come  to  know  him  he 
went,  with  the  king's  consent,  and  visited  the  thera  in  the 

35  Katthahala-parivena  and  spoke  with  him ;  and  when  he  had 
learned  the  day  of  the  thera's  departure  and  the  place  whither 


1  The  workman  means  by  this  that  a  more  exact  description  of  the 
personage  was  impossible  to  him.    The  conjectural  reading  of  the 
Colombo  edition  neva  ti  instead  of  devati  is  unnecessary.     The 
Thupavamsa   has  also    (p.   6135; :    ayam  pana  agantuko  ayam 
nevasiko    ti    ettakam   janami.     See  Mah.   ed.,  note    to    this 
passage. 

2  So  that  the  bhikkhu  might  be  rewarded  in  this  way  for  his  work 
on  the  thupa. 


xxx.  45      The  Making  of  the  Eelic-Clianiber  201 

he  was  going,  and  had  said  to  him  :  c  I  am  going  with  thee  to 
thy  village/  he  told  the  king  all.     The  king  commanded  that  36 
a  pair  of  garments,  worth  a  thousand  (pieces  of  money),  and  a 
costly  red  coverlet  he  given  to  him,  and  when  he  had  (also)  3  7 
commanded  to  give  him  many  things  used  by  samanas,  and 
sugar  and  a  nail l  of  fragrant  oil  withal,  he  laid  his  command 
upon  him. 

He   went  with  the  thera,  and  when  Piyafigallaka  was  in  38 
s:ght  he  made  the  thera  sit  down  in  a  cool  shady  place  where 
there  was  water,  and  when  he  had  given  him  sugar- water  and  39 
had  rubbed  his  feet  with  fragrant  oil  and  put  sandals  upon 
them,  he  gave  him  the  necessaries  (saying) :  '  For  the  thera  40 
who  visits  my  house  2  have  I  brought  these  with  me,  but  the 
two  garments  for  my  son.     All  this  do  I  give  to  thee  now/ 
When  with  these  words  he  had  given  those  (necessaries)3  to  41 
the  thera  who,  after  receiving  them,  set  out  again  upon  his 
journey,  he,  taking  leave  of  (the  thera},  told  him,  in  the  king's 
words,  the  king's  command. 

While  the  Great  Thupa  was  built,  people  in  great  numbers  42 
who  laboured  for  wages,  being  converted  to  the  faith,  went  to 
heaven.     A  wise  man  who  perceives  that  only  by  inner  faith  43 
in  the  Holy  One  is  the  way  to  heaven  found,  will  therefore 
bring  offerings  to  the  thupa.4 

Two  women,  who  since  they  had  also  laboured  here  for  hire,  44 
were  re-born  in  the  heaven  of  the  thirty-three  (gods),  pondered 
when  the  thupa  was  finished,  upon  what  they  had  formerly  45 

1  A  measure  of  capacity  (Abhidh.  1057),  Sinh.  nseliya,  according 
to  CLOUGH  'about  three  pints  wine-measure '. 

2  Kulupaka  or  -aga  is  the  name  given  in  a  family  to  a  bhikkhu 
who  continually  frequents  the  house  to  receive  alms,  and  enters  thus 
into  confidential  relations  with  the  family. 

3  After  te  must  be  understood  parikkhare. 

4  It  is  significant  that  in  the  Tika  there  is  no  explanation  of 
verses  42-50.    These  have  indeed  the  look  of  a  monastic  legend  (cf. 
particularly  the  practical  application  in  verse  43),  which  may  have 
been  interpolated  at  a  later  period.     In  any  case  the  interpolation 
must  be  old.     It  is  found  in  all  the  groups  of  MSS.  and  also  in  the 
Kambodian  Mahavamsa,  and  the  story  appears  again  in  the  Thupa- 
vamsa. 


202  Mahavamsa  xxx.  46 

done,  and  when  they  both  became  aware  of  the  reward  of 
their    deeds,   they   took    fragrant   flowers    and   came   to   do 

46  reverence   to   the    thupa   with    offerings.      When   they   had 
offered  the  fragrant  flowers  they  did  homage  to  the  cetiya. 
At  this   moment  came  the  thera   Mahasiva  who    dwelt    in 

47  Bhativanka  (with   the   thought):    'I    will   pay   homage   by 
night  to  the  Great  Thupa/     As  he,  leaning  against  a  great 

48  sattapanna-tree,1  saw  those  women  and  without  letting  him- 
self be  seen   stood  there  gazing  at  their  marvellous  splen- 
dour,   he,    when   their   adoration    was    ended    asked    them : 

49  '  Here  the  whole  island  shines  with  the  brightness  of  your 
bodies ;  what  works  have  ye  done  that  ye  have  passed  from 

50  this  world  into  the  world  of  gods  ?  '     The  devatas  told  him  of 
the  work  done  by  them  in  the  (building  of  the)  Great  Thupa ; 
thus  does  faith  in  the  Tathagata  bring  a  rich  reward. 

51  The  three  terraces  for  the  flower-offerings  to  the  thupa  2 
did  the  theras  of  miraculous  power  cause  to  sink  down  so  soon 
as    they  were   laid  with  bricks,   making  them  equal  to  the 

52  surface  of  the  soil.     Nine  times  did  they  cause  them  to  sink 
down  when  they  were  laid.     Then  the  king  called  together  an 

53  assembly  of  the  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus.     Eighty  thousand 
bhikkhus  assembled  there.    The  king  sought  out  the  brother- 
hood, and  when  he  had  paid  homage  to  them  with  gifts  and  had 

54  reverentially  greeted  them  he  asked  the  reason  of  the  sinking 
down  of  the  bricks.     The  brotherhood  answered:  'In  order 
that  the  thupa  may  not  sink  down  of  itself  was  this  thing 

55  done  by  the  bhikkhus  of  miraculous  power,  O  great  king*; 
they  will  do  it  no  more,  make  no  alteration  and  finish  the 
Great  Thupa/ 

56  When  the  king  heard  this,  glad  at  heart  he  caused  the  work 
on  the  thupa  to  be  continued.     For  the  ten  flower-terraces  3 

1  Skt.  saptaparna,  Alstonia  scholaris. 

2  Itseems  thatpupphadhana  means  the  three  concentric  galleries 
(the  so-called  pasada)  which  form  the  base  of  the  thupa  proper. 
SMITHER,   Architectural  Remains,  Anurddhapura,  p.  27 ;    PARKER, 
Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  286. 

3  I.e.  for  the  nine  pupphadhanattayani  which  had  sunk  a,nd 
the  tenth  that  remained  on  the  surface. 


xxx.  71       TJie  Making  of  the  Relic-Cliamler  203 

ten    kotis    of    bricks    (were    used).      The    brotherhood    of  57 
bhikkhus  charged  the  two  samaneras,  Uttara  and  Sumana, 
saying1:    '  Bring-  hither,  to  (make)  the  relic-chamber  in  the 
cetiya,  fat-coloured  stones/1     And  they  set  out  for  (the  land  58 
of)  the  Northern  Kurus  2  and  brought  from  thence  six  massive 
fat-coloured  stones   measuring  eighty  cubits  in  length   and  59 
breadth,  bright  as  the  sun,  eight  inches  thick  and  like  to 
ganthi   blossoms.3     When  they  had  laid  one  on  the  flower-  60 
terrace  in  the  middle  and  had  disposed  four  (others)  on  the 
four  sides,  in  the  fashion  of  a  chest,  the  (theras)  of  wondrous  61 
might  placed  the  sixth,  to  serve  (afterwards)  as  a  lid,  upon  the 
east  side,  making  it  invisible. 

In  the  midst  of  the  relic-chamber  the  king  placed  a  bodhi-  62 
tree  made  of  jewels,  splendid  in  every  way.     It  had  a  stem  63 
eighteen   cubits  high  and  five  branches ;   the  root,  made  of 
coral,  rested  on  sapphire.     The  stem  made  of  perfectly  pure  64 
silver  was  adorned  with  leaves  made  of  gems,  had  withered 
leaves  and  fruits  of  gold  and  young  shoots  made  of  coral. 
The  eight  auspicious  figures4  were  on  the  stem  and  festoons  65 
of  flowers  and  beautiful  rows  of  fourfooted  beasts  and  rows  of 
geese.     Over  it,   on  the  border  of  a  beautiful  canopy,  was  66 
a  network  of  pearl  bells  and  chains  of  little  golden  bells  and 
bands  here  and  there.     From  the  four  corners  of  the  canopy  67 
hung   bundles   of   pearl    strings   each    worth    nine   hundred 
thousand  (pieces  of  money).     The  figures  of  sun,  moon  and  68 
stars    and    different    lotus-flowers,    made    of    jewels,    were 
fastened  to   the  canopy.     A    thousand  and   eight  pieces  of  69 
divers  stuffs,  precious  and  of  varied  colours,  were  hung  to  the 
canopy.  Around  the  bodhi-tree  ran  a  vedika  made  of  all  manner  70 
of  jewels;  the  pavement  within  was  made  of  great  myrobalan- 
pearls.5 

Rows  of  vases  (some)  empty  and  (some)  filled  with  flowers  71 

1  -See  note  to  1.  39.  2  See  note  to  1.  18. 

3  The     Tika     explains     ganthipuppha     by     bandhujlvaka- 
puppha.     Cf.  B.R.,  Skt.-Wtb.,  s.v.  bandhujiva:    Pentapetes  phoe- 
nicea  (hat  eine  schone  rote  Blume  .  .  .). 

4  Cf.  note  to  27.  37. 

5  See  11.14;  cf.  28.  36. 


204  Mahavamsa  xxx.  72 

made  of  all  kinds   of  jewels  and  filled  with  four  kinds  of 
fragrant  water  were  placed   at   the  foot  of  the  bodhi-tree. 

72  On  a  throne,  the  cost  whereof  was  one  koti,  erected  to  the 
east  of  the  bodhi-tree,  he  placed  a  shining  golden  Buddha- 

73  image  seated.    The  body  and  members  of  this  image  were  duly1 
made  of  jewels  of  different  colours,  beautifully  shining.    Maha- 

74  brahma  stood  there  holding  a  silver  parasol  and  Sakka  carry- 

75  ing  out  the  consecration  with  the  Vijayuttara  shell,  Paricasikha 
with  his  lute  in  his  hand,2  and  Kalanaga  with  the  dancing-girls, 
and  the  thousand-handed  Mara  with  his  elephants  and  train 

76  of  followers.     Even  like  the  throne  to  the  east  (other)  thrones 
were  erected,  the  cost  of  each  being  a  koti,  facing  the  other 

77  seven  regions  of  the  heavens.     And  even  thus,  so  that  the 
bodhi-tree  was  at  the  head,  a  couch  3  was  placed,  also  worth 
one  koti,  adorned  with  jewels  of  every  kind. 

78  The  events4  during  the  seven  weeks5  he  commanded  them 
to  depict  duly  here  and  there  in  the  relic  chamber,  and  also  the 

79  prayer  of  Brahma,6  the  setting  in  motion  the  wheel  of  the 

1  According  to  the  Tika  the  finger-nails  and  the  whites  of  the  eyes 
were  made  of  mountain-crystal,  the  palms  of  the  hands,  soles  of  the 
feet,  and  the  lips  of  red  coral,  the  eyebrows  and  pupils  of  sapphire, 
the  teeth  of  diamonds,  &c. 

2  Pancasikho  gandhabbaputto  (D.  II.  26512  foil. ;  Jat.  IV.  691) 
is  the  poet  and  minstrel  of  the  gods.     He  appears  in  attendance  on 
Sakka  in  Jat.  III.  22210,&c.;  IV.  637,  &c.,  and  often.  Thegandhabba 
(Skt.  gandharva)  are  the  heavenly  musicians. 

8  To  represent  the  death-bed  of  the  Buddha,  the  par  i  nib  ban  a- 
maiica,  and  intended  as  a  receptacle  for  the  relics. 

4  In  the  vv.  78-87  scenes  from  the  Buddha's  life,  from  the  s  a  m  b  o d  h  i 
to  his  death  and  obsequies,  are  enumerated.    Cf.  for  this  especially 
M.V.  I.  1-23  (OLDENBERG,  Vin.  Pit.  i,  p.  1  foil.);  the  Jatakanidana 
(FAUSBOLL,  Jatakas,  i,  p.  77  foil.);  and  for  84d  foil,  the  Mahapari- 
nibbanasutta  (D.  II.  p.  106  foil. ;  RHYS  DAVIDS,  S.B.E.  xi,  p.  44  foil., 
and  S.B.B.  iii,  p.  71  foil.).      KERN,  Manual   of  Indian  Buddhism, 
p.  21  foil.     On  such  scenes  as  the  subject  of  bas-reliefs  in  buddhistic 
monuments  see  FOUCHER,  V Art  Greco- Bouddkique,  i,  p.  414  foil. ; 
GRUNWEDEL,  Buddk  Kunst,  pp.  61  foil.,  118  foil. 

5  The  time  immediately  after  the  sambodhi  which  the  Buddha 
spent  near  the  bodhi-tree. 

6  Brahma  and  the  other  gods  entreat  the  Buddha  to  preach  the 
discovered  truth  to  the  world. 


xxx.  84       The  Making  of  the  Relic-Chamber  205 

doctrine,  the  admission  of  Yasa  into  the  order,  the  pabbajja  of 
the  Bhaddavaggiyas  and  the  subduing  of  the  jatilas ;  the  visit  80 
of  Bimbisara  and  the  entry  into  Rajagaha,  the  accepting  of  the 
Veluvana,  the  eighty  disciples,1  the  journey  to  Kapilavatthu  81 
and  the  (miracle  of  the)  jewelled  path  in  that  place,2  the  pab- 
bajja of  Rahula  and  Nanda,3  the  accepting  of  the  Jetavana,  the  82 
miracle  at  the  foot  of  the  mango-tree,  the  preaching  in  the* 
heaven  of  the  gods,  the  miracle  of  the  descent  of  the  gods,4  and 
the  assembly  with  the  questioning  of  the  thera,5  the  Mahasa-  83 
mayasuttanta,6  and  the  exhortation  to  Rahula,7  the  Mahamah- 
galasutta,8  and  the  encounter  with  (the  elephant)  Dhanapala ;  9 
the  subduing  of  the  (yakkha)  Alavaka,  of  the  (robber)  Anguli-  84 


1  The  smaller  circle  of  the  disciples  after  the  admission  of  Sariputta 
and  Moggallana. 

2  The  miracle  of  the  ratanacankama  consisted  in  this  that  the 
Buddha  created  a  path  of  gems  in  the  air,  pacing  upon  which  he 
preached   to  the  Sakyas.     According  to  Jat.  i,  p.  88,  the   Buddha 
performed  in  Kapilavatthu  the  yamakapatihariya  (also  called  in 
v.  82  ambamule  patihira).     Cf.  note  to  17.  44. 

3  Mah.  ed.  read  Rahuiananda0  instead  of  Rahulan0. 

4  On  these  legends  see  SPENCE  HARDY,   Manual  of  Buddhism, 
pp.  295  foil.,  298  foil.,  301.    Cf.  TOUCHER,  1. 1.,  pp.  473  foil.,  483  foil., 
537  foil. 

5  The  allusion  is  to  the  assembly  before  the  gates  of  Sankapura, 
where  the  Buddha  appears,  after  his  return  from  the  heaven  of  the 
gods,  and  Sariputta's  intellectual  superiority  to  the  other  disciples  is 
demonstrated.    SPENCE  HARDY,  1. 1,  p.  302. 

6  =  Sutta  20  of  the  Dighanikaya  (D.  II.  p.  253  foil.)  preached  in 
Kapilavatthu. 

7  In  Majjhima-Nik.  I.  p.  414  foil,  is   an  Ambalatthika-Rahulova- 
dasutta  preached  in  Veluvana  near  Rajagaha  ;  and  at  III.  p.  277  foil, 
a  Cula-Rahulovadasutta  preached  at  Jetavana.     Cf.  also  Samyutta- 
Nik.  III.  135-136 ;  IV.  105-107. 

8  =  Sutta-nipata  II.  4  (ed.  FATJSBOLL,  p.  45). 

9  A  later  name  of  the  elephant  which  Devadatta  lets  loose  upon 
the  Buddha  to  crush  him  and  whom  the  Buddha  subdues  by  the 
power  of  his  gentleness.     SPENCE  HARDY  (1. 1.,  p.  320  foil.)  mentions 
Nalagiri  or  Malagiri  as  his  original  name.    The  Milindapanha  (ed. 
TRENCKNER),   p.   20725,  has  Dhanapalaka.    In  Sanskrit  Buddhist 
sources  Vasupala  also  occurs.   KERN,  Buddhismus,  transl.  by  Jacobi,  i, 
p.  251 ;  FOUCHER,  1. 1.,  p.  542  foil. 


206  Mahdvamsa  xxx.  85 

mala  and   the   (naga-king)   Apalala,1  the  meeting  with  the 

85  Parayanakas,2  the  giving-up  of  life,3  the  accepting  of  the  dish 
of  pork,4  and  of  the  two  gold-coloured  garments,5  the  drinking 

86  of  the  pure  water,6  and  the  Parinibbana  itself ;  the  lamentation 
of  gods  and  men,  the  revering  of  the  feet  by  the  thera,7  the 
burning  (of  the  body  8),  the  quenching  of  the  fire,9  the  funeral 

87-rites  in  that  very  place  and  the  distributing  of  the  relics  by 

Dona.10    Jatakas  n  also  which  are  fitted  to  awaken  faith  did  the 

88  noble  (king)  place  here  in  abundance.   The  Vessantarajataka 12 

1  SPENCE HARDY,  l.L,  pp.  261  foil.,  249  foil. ;  BURNOUF, Introduction 
a  rhistoiredu  Bouddhisme  Indien,  p.  377  ;  FOUCHER,  I.  L,  pp.  507  foil., 
544  foil. 

2  TURNOUR  :  '  the  Parayana  brahman  tribe  (at  Rajagaha).' 

3  Three  months  before  his  death  the  Buddha  resolves  to  enter  into 
the  nibbana  at  the  end  of  that  appointed  time.     An   earthquake 
accompanies  his  resolve. 

4  The  dish  set  before  the  Buddha  by  the  smith  Cunda— the  suka- 
ram  add ava— brought  on  the  illness  which  finally  caused  his  death. 

5  The  garments    were  presented    to    the   Buddha  by   the   Malla 
Pukkusa.     As  Ananda  put  them  on  him  his  body  radiated  unearthly 
brightness,  as  a  sign  of  approaching  death. 

6  The  turgid  waters  of  the  Kakuttha-river  become  clear  by  a  miracle 
when  Ananda  takes  from  it  a  draught  for  the  Master. 

7  None  can  succeed  in  setting  light  to  the  funeral  pyre  on  which 
the  body  of  the  Buddha  is  lying,  for  the  thera  Mahakassapa  is  still 
on  his  way  from  Pava  to  pay  the  last  honours  to  the  dead  Master. 

8  After  Mahakassapa  has  passed  round  the  funeral  pyre  three  times, 
and  has  then  uncovered  the  master's  feet  and  done  homage  to  them, 
the  pyre  breaks  into  flame  of  itself. 

9  Streams  of  water  fall  from  heaven  and  extinguish  the  fire. 

10  In  order  to  settle  the  dispute  that  threatens  to  burn  fiercely  over 
the  remains  of  the  Buddha  the  brahman  Dona  divides  them  into 
eight  parts. 

11  On  pictorial  representations  of  the  Buddha's  former  existences 
(jataka-stories)  see  FOUCHER,  1. 1.,  p.  270  foil. 

12  The  Jataka,    ed.  FAUSBOLL,  vi,   p.  479  foil.     The  existence  as 
Vessantara  is  the  Buddha's  last  earthly  existence.     He  passes  from 
this  into  the  Tusita- heaven.    Hence  this  jataka  has  a  particular 
significance.  See  FOUCHER,  L  I.,  pp.  283-285.  On  a  fresco  representing 
this  jataka  in  a  series  of  detached  single  scenes,  in  the  Degaldoruwa 
monastery  in  Ceylon,  see  COOMARASWAMY,  Open  Letter  to  the  Kandyan 
Chiefs,  p.  6  foil,  (reprinted  from  Ceylon  Observer,  Feb.  17,  1905). 


xxx.  97      TJie  Making  of  the  Relic-Chamber  207 

he  commanded  them  to  depict  fully,  and  in  like  manner 
(that  which  befell  beginning  at  the  descent)  from  the  Tusita- 
heaven  even  to  the  Bodhi-throne.1 

At  the  four  quarters  of  the  heaven  stood  the  (figures  of)  89 
the   four  Great  kings/  and    the  thirty-three  gods  and  the 
thirty-two  (celestial)  maidens  and  the  twenty-eight  chiefs  of  90 
the  yakkhas;    but  above   these3  devas  raising  their  folded 
hands,  vases  filled  with  flowers  likewise,  dancing  devatas  and  91 
devatas  playing  instruments  of  music,  devas  with  mirrors  in 
their  hands,  and  devas  also  bearing  flowers  and  branches, 
devas  with  lotus-blossoms  and  so  forth  in  their  hands  and  92 
other  devas  of  many  kinds,  rows  of  arches  made  of  gems  and 
(rows)  of  dhammacakkas ; 4  rows  of  sword-bearing  devas  and  93 
also  devas  bearing  pitchers.     Above  their  heads  were  pitchers 
five  cubits  high,  filled  with  fragrant  oil,  with  wicks  made  of  94 
dukula  fibres  continually  alight.     In  an  arch  of  crystal  there 
was  in  each  of  the  four  corners  a  great  gem  and  (moreover)  95 
in  the  four  corners  four  glimmering  heaps  of  gold,  precious 
stones  and  pearls  and  of  diamonds  were  placed.     On  the  wall  96 
made  of   fat-coloured  stones  sparkling  zig-zag   lines5  were 
traced,  serving  as  adornment  for  the  relic-chamber.    The  king  97 
commanded  them  to  make  all  the  figures  here  in  the  en- 
chanting relic-chamber  of  massive  wrought  gold.6 

1  FOUCHER,  I.  Z.,-pp.  285-289,  290  foil.    The  tusita  are  a  class  of 
gods,  Skt.  tusita. 

2  The  four  guardians  of  the  world  (lokapala)  :  Dhatarattha  in  the 
N.,  Virulha  in  the  S.,  Virupakkha  in  the  W.,  and  Vessavana  in  the  E. 

a  According  to  the  Tika's  interpretation  this  tatopari  belongs  to 
arijalipaggaha  deva.  The  comma  in  Mah.  ed.  should  then  be 
moved  accordingly. 

4  The  '  whet  1  of  the  doctrine ',  a  sacred  symbol  of  the  Buddhists. 
Originally  perhaps  a  sun-symbol.     See  SEWELL,  J.R.A.S.  1886,  p.  392. 

5  Vijjulata,  literally   'lightnings'.      The   Tika  explains  vijju- 
lata  by  meghalata  nama  vijj  ukumariyo,  and  quotes  from  the 
Porana  (cf.  GEIGER,  Dip.  and  Mah.,  p.  45)  the  following  verse: 
meghalata    vijjukumari     medapindikabhittiya  |  samanta 
caturo  passe  dhatugabbhe  parikkhipi. 

6  The  Tika  goes  into  fuller  details,  to  refute  those  who  may  perhaps 
doubt  the  truth  of  the  description.     GEIGER,  I.  L,  p.  35. 


208  Mahavamsa  XXX.  98 

98  The  great  thera  Indagutta,  who  was  gifted  with  the  six 
supernormal  faculties,  the  most  wise,  directed  here  all  this, 

99  being  set  over  the  work.     All  this  was  completed  without 
hindrance  by  reason  of  the  wondrous  power  of  the  king,  the 
wondrous  power  of  the  devatas,  and  the  wondrous  power  of 
the  holy  (theras). 

100  If  the  wise  man  who  is  adorned  with  the  good  gifts  of 
faith,  has  done  homage  to  the  blessed  (Buddha)  the  supremely 
venerable,  the  highest  of  the  world,  who  is  freed  from  dark- 
ness, while  he  was  yet  living,  and  then  to  his  relics,  that  were 
dispersed  abroad  by  him  who  had  in  view  the  salvation  of  man- 
kind ;  and  if  he  then  understands :  herein  is  equal  merit ; 
then  indeed  will  he  reverence  the  relics  of  the  Sage  even  as  the 
blessed  (Buddha  himself)  in  his  lifetime. 

Here  ends  the  thirtieth  chapter,  called  '  The  Making  of  the 
Relic-Chamber ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene 
joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 


CHAPTEK  XXXI 

THE   ENSHRINING   OF   THE   RELICS 

WHEX  the  subduer  of  foes  had  completed  the  work  on  the  1 
relic-chamber  he  brought  about  an  assembly  of  the  brotherhood 
and  spoke  thus  :  *  The  work  on  the  relic-chamber  has  been  com-  2 
pleted  by  me;  to-morrow  I  will  enshrine  the  relics;  do  you, 
venerable  sirs,  take  thought  for  the  relics/     When  the  great  3 
king  had  spoken  thus  he  went  thence  into  the  city ;  but  the 
assembly  of  bhikkhus  sought  out  a  bhikkhu  who  should  bring 
relics  hither ;  and  they  charged  the  ascetic  named  Sonuttara,  4 
gifted  with  the  six  supernormal  faculties,  who  dwelt  in  the 
Puja-parivena,  with  the  task  of  bringing  the  relics. 

Now  once,  when  the  Master  was  wandering  about  (on  the  5 
earth)   for  the  salvation  of  the  world^  on  the  shore  of  the 
Ganges   a   brahman   named   Nanduttara   invited   the    Sam-  6 
buddha    and    offered    him    hospitality    together    with    the 
brotherhood.     Near  the  landing-place  Payaga1  the  Master, 
with  the  brotherhood,  embarked  on  a  ship.      As  then  the  7 
thera  Bhaddaji  of  wondrous  might,  endowed  with  the  six 
supernormal   faculties,  saw  there   a   place  where   the  water 
whirled  in  eddies,  he  said  to  the   bhikkhus :    '  The   golden  8 
palace  measuring  twenty-five  yojanas  wherein  I  dwelt,  when 
I  was   (the  king)   Mahapanada,2  is  sunk  here.     When  the  9 
water  of  the  Ganges  comes  to  it  here  it  whirls  in  eddies/ 

The  bhikkhus,  who  did  not  believe  him,  told  this  to  the 
Master.      The   Master   said:    ' Banish    the    doubts   of    the  10 
bhikkhus/     Then  to  show  his  power  to  command  even  in 
the  Brahma- world  he  rose,  by  his  wondrous  might,  into  the  11 

1  Skt.  Prayaga,  the  holy  place  where  Ganga  and  Yamuna  unite. 

2  Of.  Mah.  2.  4 ;  Dip.  3.  7.    There  is  also  mention  of  M.'s  palace, 
Mah.  37.  62  (=  Culavamsa  37.  12,  ed.  Col.,  p.  7  ;  TUKNOUK,  Mah., 

p.  239). 

P 


210  Maliavamsci  xxxi.  12 

air  and  when  he,  floating  at  a  height  even  of  seven  talas, 
had  taken  the  Dussa-thupa  l  in  the  Brahma-world  upon  his 

12  outstretched  hand,  and  had  brought  it  hither  and  shown  it  to 
the  people,  he  put  it  again  in  the  place  to  which  it  belonged. 

13  Thereon  he  dived,  by  his  wondrous  power,  into  the  Ganges, 
and  seizing  the  palace  by  its  spire  2  with  his  toe  he  raised  it 
high  up,  and  when  he  had  shown  it  to  the  people  he  let  it 

14  fall  again  there  (to  its  place).     When  the  brahman  Nand- 
uttara  saw  this   wonder  he  uttered  the  wish:    'May  I  (at 
some  time)    have  the   power   to   procure  relics   that   others 

15  hold   in    their   possession.'     Therefore    did   the  brotherhood 
lay  this  charge   upon  the  ascetic    Sonuttara3  although   he 

16  was  but  sixteen  years  old.     'Whence  shall  I  bring  a  relic  ?' 
he   asked   the   brotherhood,  and  thereupon  the   brotherhood 
described  the  relics  thus  : 

1 7  '  Lying  on  his  deathbed  the  Master  of  the  world,  that  with 
his  relics  he  might  bring  to   pass   salvation  for  the  world, 

1 8  spoke  thus  to  (Sakka)  the  king  of  the  gods :   O  king  of  the 
gods,  of  the  eight  donas  4  of  my  bodily  relics  one  dona.,  adored 

19  (first)  by  the  Koliyas  in  Ramagama,5  shall  be  borne  thence 
into  the  kingdom  of  the  nagas  and  when  it  will  be  adored 
even  there  by  the  nagas  it  (at  the  last)  shall   come  to  be 

20  enshrined  in  the  Great  Thupa  on  the  island  of  Lanka.     The 
far-seeing  and  most  wise  thera  Mahakassapa 6  then,  mindful 
of  the  (coming)  division  of  the  relics  by  king  Dhammasoka, 

1  Dathavamsa  35  (J.P.T.S.  1884,  p.  113). 

2  For  the  meaning  of  thupika  see  Attanagaluvamsa,  ed.  ALWIS,  IX. 
7  (p.  3224):  cetiyasise  kiritam  viya  kanakamayam  thupikam 
ca  y ojetva  'having  fastened  a  golden  thupika  on  the  summit  of  the 
cetiya  like  a  diadem '. 

3  Who    had   in   fact   been    that  same    Nanduttara   in   a  former 
existence. 

4  A  certain  measure  of  capacity.    See  17.  51.     For  the  passage 
following  cf.  D.  II.  pp.  165-168. 

8  The  Koliyas  were  a  tribe  related  to  the  Sakyas.  The  Rohini  was 
the  boundary  river  between  them.  In  the  Sumangala-Vilasini  (ed. 
RHYS  DAVIDS  and  CARPENTER,  i,  p.  262)  the  capital  of  the  Koliyas 
is  called  Vyagghapajja. 

6  The  samghathera  after  the  Buddha's  death  and  head  of  the  First 
Council. 


xxxi.  32         The  Enshrining  of  the  Eelics  211 

had  a  great  and  well-guarded  treasure  of  relics  placed1  near  21 
Rajagaha  (the  capital)   of   king-  Ajatasattu    as  he   brought  22 
thither  the  seven  donas  of  relics  ;  but  the  dona  in  Ramagama 
he  did  not  take,  knowing  the  Master's  intention.     When  the  23 
king  Dhammasoka  saw  the  great  treasure  of  relics  he  thought 
to  have  the  eighth  dona  also  brought  thither.    But,  bethinking  24 
them  that  it  was  destined  by  the  Conqueror  to  be  enshrined 
in  the   Great   Thupa,  the  ascetics2  of  that   time   who  had 
overcome  the  asavas   prevented  Dhammasoka  from    (doing) 
this.     The  thupa  in  Rajagama,  that  was  built  on  the  shore  25 
of  the  Ganges,  was   destroyed   by   the   overflowing   of   the 
Ganges,  but  the  urn  with  the  relics  reached  the  ocean  and  26 
stayed  there  in  the  twofold  divided  waters  3  on  a  throne  made 
of  many-coloured  gems  surrounded  by  rays  of  light.     When  27 
the   nagas    saw    the   urn    they   went    to    the    naga    palace 
Manjerika  of  the  king  Kalanaga  and  told  him.    And  he  went  28 
thither   with   ten   thousand   kotis   of   nagas,   and   when  he 
had  brought  the    relics  to   his  palace,  (adoring  them)  with 
offerings  meanwhile,  and  had  built  over  them  a  thupa  made  29 
of  all  kinds  of  jewels  and  a  temple  above  the  (thupa)  also, 
he,  filled  with  zeal,  brought  offerings  continually,  together 
with  the  (other)  nagas.    There  a  strong  guard  is  set;  go  thou  30 
and  bring  the  relics  hither.     To-morrow  will  the  lord  of  the 
land  set  about  enshrining  the  relics.' 

When  he  had  heard  these  words  of  the  brotherhood  he,  31 
answering t  Yes  (I  shall  do  so) ',  withdrew  to  his  cell  pondering 
over   the   time  when   he  must  set  forth.     *  To-morrow  the  32 
enshrining  of  the  relics  shall  take  place/  thus  proclaimed 
the  king  by  beat  of  drums  in  the  city,  by  which  all  that 

1  Karapento  at21c  seems  to  be  employed  pleonastically.    The 
construction  of  the  sentence  may  be  explained,  as  I  have  indicated 
by  the  punctuation  in  the  edition,  thus  :    Mahakassapathero  .  .  . 
mahadhatunidhanam  . .  .  karayi,  Rajagahassa  ran  no  Ajata- 
sattuno  samante  (tarn  nidhanam)  karapento. 

2  Tika :    tattha    khinasava    yati    ti    tasmim    Dhammaso- 
kakale  khinasava  bhikkhu. 

3  The  waters  of  the  sea  divide  to  receive  the  urn.    TURNOUR'S 
translation  :  *  Where  the  stream  of  the  Ganges  spreads  in  two  opposite 
directions,'  certainly  does  not  give  the  right  sense. 

P  2 


212  Mahavamsa  xxxi.  33 

33  must  be  done  is  set  forth.     He  commanded  that  the  whole 
city  and  the  road  leading  hither l  be  carefully  adorned  and 

34  that  the  burghers  be  clad  in  festal  garments.    Sakka,  the  king 
of  the  gods,  summoning  Vissakamma  (for  this  task),  caused 
the  whole  island  of  Lanka  to  be  adorned  in  manifold  ways. 

35  At  the  four  gates  of  the  city  the  ruler  of  men  had  gar- 
ments, food  and  so  forth  placed  for  the  use  of  the  people. 

36  On  the  fifteenth  uposatha-day  in  the  evening,  (the  king) 
glad  at  heart,  well  versed  in  the  duties  of  kings,  arrayed  in  all 

37  his  ornaments,  surrounded  on  every  side  by  all  his  dancing- 
women  and  his  warriors  in  complete  armour,  by  a  great  body 

38  of  troops,  as  well  as  by  variously  adorned  elephants,  horses 
and  chariots,  mounted  his  car  of  state  2  that  was  drawn  by 

39  four  pure  white  Sindhu-horses  3  and  stood  there,  making  the 
(sumptuously)  adorned  and  beautiful  elephant  Kandula  pace 
before  him,  holding  a  golden  casket 4  under  the  white  parasol. 

40  A  thousand  and  eight  beautiful  women  from  the  city,  with 
the  adornment  of  well-filled  pitchers,  surrounded  the  car  and, 

41  even  as  many  women  bearing  baskets   (filled)  with  various 
4  2  flowers,  and  as  many  again  bearing  lamps  on  staves.    A  thou- 
sand and  eight  boys  in  festal  array  surrounded  him,  bearing 

43  beautiful  many-coloured  flags.     While  the  earth  seemed  as  it 
were  rent5  asunder  by  all  manner  of   sounds  from  various 
instruments  of  music,  by  the  (thundering)  noise  of  elephants, 

44  horses  and  chariots,  the  renowned  king  shone  forth,  as  he 
went  to  the  Mahameghavana,  in  glory  like  to  the  king  of 
the  gods  when  he  goes  to  Nandavana.6 

45  When  the  ascetic  Sonuttara,  sitting  in  his  cell,  heard  the 
noise   of   the    music    in    the   city7    as   the   king  began   to 

1  I.e.  to  the  Mahavihara. 

2  Suratha,  according  to  the  Tika,  is  used  here  as  mangalaratha 
elsewhere. 

See  note  to  23.  71. 

To  receive  the  relics. 

The  loc.  absol.  bhijjante  viy a  bhutale  does  not  belong  to  the 
whole  sentence  but  especially  to  the  pres.  part,  yanto.* 

See  note  to  15.  185. 

Pure  is  not  'for  the  first  time '  (TURKOUR)  but  =  nagaramhi 
(Tika). 


xxxi.  56         The  Enshrining  of  the  Eelics  213 

set  out,  he  went,  plunging  into  the  earth  to  the  palace  of  the  46 
nagas  and  appeared  there  in  a  short  time  before  the  naga- 
king.     When  the  king  of  the  nagas  had  risen  up  and  had  47 
greeted  him  and  invited  him  to  be  seated  on  a  throne,  he 
paid  him  the  honours  due  to  a  guest  and  questioned  him  as 
to  the  country  whence  he  had  come.     When  this  was  told  he  48 
asked  the  reason  of  the  thera's  coming.     And  he  told  him 
the  whole  matter  and  gave  him  the  message  of  the  brother- 
hood :  '  The  relics  that  are  here  in  thy  hands  are  appointed  49 
by  the  Buddha  to  be  enshrined  in  the  Great  Thupa ;  do  thou 
then  give  them  to  me/     When  the  naga-king  heard  this,  he  50 
was  sorely  troubled  and  thought :  '  This  samana  might  have 
the  power  to  take  them  from  me  by  force ;  therefore  must  the  5 1 
relics  be  carried  elsewhere/  and  he  made  this  known  by  a  sign 
to  his  nephew,  who  was  present  there.     And  he,  who  was  52 
named  Vasuladatta,   understanding   the   hint,   went   to   the 
temple  of  the  cetiya,  and  when  he  had  swallowed  the  urn 
(with  the  relics)  he  went  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Sineru1  and  53 
lay  there   coiled   in   a   circle.     Three  hundred  yojanas  long 
was  the  ring  and  one  yojana  was  his  measure  around.2    When  54 
the  (naga)  of  wondrous  might  had  created  many  thousand 
(heads  with  puffed-up)    hoods  he   belched  forth,   as  he  lay 
there,  smoke  and  fire.     When  he  (then)  had  created  many  55 
thousand  snakes  like  to  himself,  he  made  them  lie  about  him 
in  a  circle. 

Many  nagas  and  devas  came  thither  then  with  the  thought :  56 
'  We  will  behold  the  combat  of  the  two  nagas/  3 

1  Name  of  the  mythical  mountain  Meru  which  is  the  central  point 
of  the  universe. 

2  That  is,  the  naga's  body  was  a  yojana  in  circumference.  The  Tika 
gives  another  sense  to  the  passage.    According  to  it  bhogo  is  equal 
to  bhogava,  i.e.  snake,  and  yojanavattava  equal  to  yojanasata- 
vattava,   sata  being  understood   from  what  precedes.     That  is 
certainly  too   artificial.     TURNOUR  translates,  'with  a   hood   forty 
yojanas  broad ' ;  WIJESINHA  :  '  one  yojana  broad.'    But  none  of  this 
appears  in  the  text. 

3  A  double  meaning.     Read  one  way  naga 'snake-demon',  refers 
to  Vasuladatta ;    the  other  way,  referring  to  the  thera,  it  means, 
'  hero,  great  or  mighty  man.' 


214  Mahavamsa  xxxi.  57 

57  When  the  uncle  perceived  that  the  relics  had  been  taken 
thence  by  his  nephew,  he  said  to  the  thera :    f  There  are  no 

58  relics  with  me/     The  thera  told  him  the  story  of  the  coming 
of  the  relics  from  the  beginning,  and  said  then  to  the  naga- 
king :  '  Give  thou  the  relics/ 

59  And  to  content  him  by  some  other  means  the  serpent-king 
took  the  thera  with  him  and  went  to  the  temple  with  the 

60  cetiya  and  described  it  to  him  :  '  See,  O  bhikkhu,  this  cetiya 
adorned  with  many  gems  in  many  ways  and  the  nobly  built 

61  temple  for  the  cetiya.     Nay,  but  all  the  jewels  in  the  whole 
island  of  Lanka  are  not  of  so  great  worth  as  the  stone-slab 1  at 
the  foot  of  the  steps ;  what  shall  be  said  of  the  other  (treasures)  ? 

62  Truly  it  beseems  thee  not,  O  bhikkhu,  to  bear  away  the  relics 
from  a  place  of  high  honour  to  a  place  of  lesser  honour/ 

63  ' Verily,  there  is  no  understanding  of  the  truth2  among 
you  nagas.     It  were  fitting  indeed  to  bear  away  the  relics  to 

64  a   place  where   there   is  understanding  of  the   truth.     The 
Tathagatas  are  born  for  deliverance  from  the  samsara,  and 
thereon  is  the  Buddha  intent,  therefore  I  will  bear  away  the 

65  relics.     This  very  day  the  king  will   set  about   enshrining 
the  relics ;  swiftly  then  give  me  the  relics  without  delay/ 

66  The  naga  said  :  '  If  thou  shalt  see  the  relics,  venerable  sir, 
take  them  and  go/     Three  times  the  thera  made  him  repeat 

67  this  (word),  then  did  the  thera  standing  on  that  very  spot 
create  a  (long)  slender  arm,  and  stretching  the  hand  straight- 

68  way  down  the  throat  of  the  nephew  he  took  the  urn  with 
the  relics,  and  crying :   '  Stay,  naga  ! '  he  plunged  into  the 
earth  and  rose  up  (out  of  it)  in  his  cell. 

69  The  naga-king  thought :    '  The  bhikkhu   is  gone  hence, 

1  At  the  lower  end  of  the  stairway  of  buildings  in  Ceylon  lie  semi- 
circular stones  with  gracefully  executed  ornaments,  the  so-called 
'Moonstones'.  SMITHER,  Anurddhapura,  p.  58,  with. Plate  LV1I, 
fig.  3. 

8  Certainly  to  be  taken  in  the  concrete  sense  of  the  four  holy 
Truths  (ariyasaccani)  which  form  the  foundation  of  Buddhist 
doctrine :  the  Truths  concerning  sorrow,  the  cause  of  sorrow,  the 
cessation  of  sorrow,  and  the  way  leading  to  the  cessation  of  sorrow. 
Samyutta,  v.  420. 


xxxi.  83         The  Enshrining  of  the  Belies  215 

deceived  by  us/  and  he  sent  to  his  nephew  to  bring  the  relics 
(again).     But  when  the  nephew  could  not  find  the  urn  in  his  70 
belly  he  came  lamenting  and  told  his  uncle.     Then  the  naga-  71 
king  also  lamented  :  '  We  are  betrayed/  and  all  the  nagas  who 
came  in  crowds  lamented  likewise.   But  rejoicing  in  the  victory  72 
of  the  mighty  bhikkhu l  the  gods  assembled,  and  adoring  the 
relics  with  offerings  they  came  together  with  the  (thera). 

Lamenting,  the  nagas  came  to  the  brotherhood  and  made  73 
right  woful  plaint  sorrowful  over  the  carrying  away  of  the 
relics.     From  compassion  the  brotherhood  left  them  a  few  of  74 
the  relics ;  rejoicing  at  this  they  went  and  brought  treasures 
as  offerings. 

Sakka  came  to  the  spot  with  the  gods  bringing  a  throne  75 
set  with  jewels  and  a  casket  of  gold.     In  a  beautiful  pavilion  76 
made  of  jewels  that  was  built  by  Vissakamma  on  the  spot, 
where  the  thera  had  emerged  (from  the  earth),  he  set  up  the 
throne  and  when  he  had  received  the  urn  with  the  relics  from  77 
the  hand  of  the  thera,  and  had  put  them  in  the  casket  he 
placed  it  on  the  throne. 

Brahma  held  the  parasol,  Samtusita   the  yak-tail  whisk,  78 
Suyama 2  held  the  jewelled  fan,  Sakka  the  shell  with  water. 
The  four  great  kings  3  stood  with  swords  in  their  grip  and  the  79 
thirty-three  gods  of  wondrous  power  with  baskets  in  their 
hands.     When  they  had  gone  thither  offering  paricchattaka-  80 
flowers  4  the  thirty-two  celestial  maidens  stood  there  bearing 
lamps  on  staves.     Moreover,  to  ward  off  the  evil  yakkhas  the  81 
twenty- eight  yakkha-chief tains  stood  holding  guard.     Panca-  82 
sikha  stood  there  playing  the  lute,  and  Timbaru  who  had  set 
up  a  stage,  making  music  to  sound  forth.5    Manydevas  (stood  83 
there)   singing   sweet   songs   and    the   naga-king  Mahakala 

1  Lit.  '  Of  the  naga  among  bhikkhus.'     See  note  to  v.  56. 

2  Samtusita  and  Suyama  also  appear  as  devaputta  at  A.  IV.  24226, 
2431,  and  S.  IV.  28023.    Cf.  also  Jat.  I.  4816,  5317,  8110-11 ;  IV.  266s. 

3  See  note  to  30.  89. 

4  Blossoms  of  a  tree  growing  in  the  Tavatimsa-heaven.     M.V.  1. 20. 
10  ;  Jat.  I.  20214,  IV.  265'8. 

5  On  Pancasikha  see  note  to  30.  75  ;  Timbaru  is  called  in  D.  II. 
2682~3Gandhabba-raja.    With  rangabhumicf.  Sinh.  rangabim 
(=  rangamadulu)  '  place  for  acting,  theatre'. 


216  Mahavamsa  xxxi.  84 

84  chanting  praises  in  manifold  ways.     Celestial  instruments  of 
music  resounded,  a  celestial  chorus  pealed  forth,  the  devatas 

85  let  fall  a  rain  of  heavenly  perfumes  and  so  forth.     But  the 
thera  Indagutta  created,  to  ward  off  Mara,  a  parasol  of  copper 

86  that  he  made  great  as  the  universe.     On  the  east  side  of  the 
relics  and  here  and  there  in  the  five  regions  l  the  bhikkhus 
raised  their  song  in  chorus. 

87  Thither,  glad  at  heart,  went  the  great  king  Dutthagamani, 
and  when  he  had  laid  the  casket  with  the  relics  in  the  golden 

88  casket  that  he  had  brought  upon  his  head,  and  had  placed  it 
upon  a  throne,  he  stood  there  with  folded  hands,   offering 
gifts  to  the  relics  and  adoring  them. 

89  When  the  prince  saw  the  celestial   parasol,  the  celestial 
perfumes,  and  the  rest,  and  heard  the  sound  of  celestial  in- 

90  struments  of  music  and  so  forth,  albeit  he  did  not  see  the 
Brahma-gods  he,  rejoicing  and  amazed  at  the  miracle,  wor- 
shipped the  relics,  with  the  offering  of  a  parasol  and  investing 
them  with  the  kingship  over  Lanka. 

91  '  To  the  Master  of  the  world,  to  the  Teacher  who  bears  the 
threefold  parasol,  the  heavenly  parasol  and  the  earthly  and 

92  the  parasol  of  deliverance  I  consecrate  three  times  my  kingly 
rank.'     With  these  words  he,  with  joyful  heart,  thrice  con- 
ferred on  the  relics  the  kingship  of  Lanka. 

93  Thus,  together  with  gods  and  men,  worshipping  the  relics 
with  offerings,  the  prince  placed  them,  with  the  caskets,  upon 

94  his  head,  and  when  he,  surrounded  by  the  brotherhood  of  the 
bhikkhus,  had   passed  three  times,  going   toward  the   left, 
around    the   thupa,    he   ascended   it   on   the   east    side   and 

95  descended  into  the  relic-chamber.     Ninety-six  kotts  of  ara- 
hants  stood  with  folded  hands  surrounding  the  magnificent 

96  thupa.  While  the  king,  filled  with  joy,  when  he  had  mounted 
into  the  relic-chamber,  thought:    fl  will  lay  them  on  the 

97  costly  and  beautiful   couch/    the  relic-casket,  together  with 
the  relics,  rose  up  from  his  head,  and,  floating  at  a  height  of 

98  seven  talas  in  the  air,  the  casket  forthwith  opened  of  itself; 

1  By  this  is  meant  east,  west,  south,  and  north,  and  north-east, 
also  cf.  29.  64  and  65.    In  Skt.  the  north-east  is  called  aparajita 
ManuVI.  31. 


xxxi.  no       The  Enshrining  of  the  Relics  217 

the  relics  rose  up  out  of  it  and  taking  the  form  of  the  Buddha, 
gleaming  with  the  greater  and  lesser  signs,1  they  performed,  99 
even  as  the  Buddha  (himself)  at  the  foot  of  the  gandamba- 
tree  that  miracle  of  the  double  appearances,  that  was  brought 
to  pass  by  the  Blessed  One  during  his  lifetime.2     As  they  100 
beheld  this  miracle,  with  believing  and  joyous  heart,  twelve 
kotis    of   devas    and    men   attained    to   arahantship;    those  101 
who  attained  the  three  other  fruits  (of  salvation)  3  were  past 
reckoning. 

Quitting  the  form  of  the  Buddha  those  (relics)  returned  to 
their  place  in  the  casket;    but  the  casket  sank  down  again  102 
and  rested  on  the  head  of  the  king.     Then  passing  round  4 
the  relic-chamber  in  procession  with  the  thera  Indagutta  and  103 
the  dancing-women,  the  glorious  king  coming  even  to  the 
beautiful  couch  laid  the  casket  on  the  jewelled  throne.     And  104 
when  he,  filled  with  zeal,  had  washed  again  his  hands   in 
water  fragrant  with  perfumes,  and  had  rubbed  them  with  the 
five  kinds  of  perfumes,  he  opened  the  casket,  and  taking  out  105 
the   relics  the  ruler   of  the   land,  who  was   intent   on   the 
welfare  of  his  people,  thought  thus:5  'If  these  relics  shall  106 
abide   undisturbed   by  any   man   soever,   and   if   the   relics, 
serving  as  a  refuge  for  the  people,  shall  endure  continually, 
then  may  they  rest,  in  the  form  of  the  Master  as  he  lay  upon  107 
his  deathbed,  upon  this  well-ordered  and  precious  couch/ 

Thinking  thus  he  laid  the  relics  upon  the  splendid  couch;  108 
the  relics  lay  there  upon  the  splendid  couch  even  in  such 
a  shape.     On  the  fifteenth  uposatha-day  in  the  bright  half  109 
of  the  month  Asalha,  under  the  constellation  Uttarasalha, 
were  the  relics  enshrined  in  this  way.     At  the  enshrining  of  1 1 0 
the  relics  the  great  earth  quaked  and  many  wonders  came  to 
pass  in  divers  ways. 

1  See  note  to  5.  92. 

2  Cf.  17.  44,  also  the  note  to  30.  81. 

3  I.e.  the  state  of  a  sotapanno,  of  a  sakadagami  or  of  an 
anagami.     See  notes  to  1.  33  ;  15.  18 ;  13.  17. 

4  Pariharam  (part.  pres.).     The  subst.  parihara=Sinh.  psera- 
hsera  means  a  solemn  procession. 

5  A  saccakiriya,  cf.  note  to  18.  39. 


218  Mahavamsa  xxxi.  ill 

111  With  believing  heart  did  the  king  worship  the  relics  by 
(offering)  a  white  parasol,  and  conferred  on  them  the  entire 
overlordship  of  Lanka  for  seven  days. 

112  All  the  adornments  on  his  body  he  offered  in  the  relic- 
chamber,    and    so    likewise    (did)    the    dancing-women,    the 

113  ministers,  the  retinue  and  the  devatas.     When  the  king  had 
distributed    garments,  sugar,   clarified    butter    and    so   forth 
among  the  brotherhood,  and  had  caused  the  bhikkhus  to  recite 

114  in  chorus  the  whole  night,  then,  when  it  was  again  day,  he 
had   the   drum   beaten   in   the   city,  being   mindful  of  the 
welfare  of  the  people :  '  All  the  people  shall  adore  the  relics 

115  throughout   this    week/      The    great    thera    Indagutta,    of 
wondrous   might,    commanded :    '  Those   men   of  the   island 

116  of  Lanka  who  would  fain  adore  the  relics  shall  arrive  hither 
at  the  same  moment,  and  when  they  have  adored  the  relics 
here  shall  return  each  one  to  his  house/     This  came  to  pass 
as  he  had  commanded. 

117  When  the  great  king  of   great  renown  had  commanded 
great   offerings    of   alms   to   the   great    brotherhood   of   the 

118  bhikkhus  for  the  week  uninterruptedly,  he  proclaimed  :    '  All 
that  was  to  be  done  in  the  relic-chamber  has  been  carried  out 
by  me ;  now  let  the  brotherhood  take  the  charge  of  closing 
the  relic-chamber/ 

119  The  brotherhood  charged  the  two  samaneras  with  this  task. 
They  closed  up  the  relic-chamber  with  the  fat-coloured  stone 
that  they  had  brought.1 

120  *  The  flowers  here  shall  not  wither,  these  perfumes  shall 
not  dry  up ;    the  lamps  shall  not  be  extinguished ;    nothing 

121  whatsoever    shall   perish;    the  six  fat-coloured  stones  shall 
hold  together  for  evermore/     All  this  did  the  (theras)  who 
had  overcome  the  asavas  command  at  that  time. 

122  The  great  king,  mindful  of  the  welfare   (of  the  people), 
issued  the  command :  '  So  far  as  they  are  able  (to  do  so)  the 

123  people  shall  enshrine  relics/      And  above  the   great   relic- 
treasure  did  the  people,  so  far  as  they  could,  carry  out  the 

124  enshrining  of   thousands  of  relics.     Enclosing  all   together 

1  Cf.  with  this  30.  61.    The  two  novices  are  Uttara  and  Suinana, 
mentioned  in  30.  57. 


xxxi.  126        The  Enshrining  of  the  Eelks  219 

the  king  completed  the  thupa  and,  moreover,  he  completed 
the  four-sided  building  1  on  the  cetiya. 

Thus   are   the  Buddhas   incomprehensible,  and  incompre-  125 
hensible  is  the  nature  of  the  Buddhas,  and  incomprehensible 
is  the  reward  of  those  who  have  faith  in  the  incomprehensible.2 

Thus  do  the  pious  themselves  perform  pure  deeds  of  merit,  126 
in    order  to  obtain  the  most  glorious  of  all  blessings ;   and 
they,  with  pure  heart,  make  also  others  to  perform  them  in 
order  to  win  a  following  of  eminent  people  of  many  kinds.3 

Here  ends  the  thirty-first  chapter,  called  f  The  Enshrining 
of  the  Relics ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy 
and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  A  dagaba  consists  essentially  of  three  elements.  The  dome,  usually 
hemispherical,  and  ordinarily  raised  on  a  cylindrical  base,  forms  the 
principal  part.     In  the  upper  part  of  this  is  the  relic  chamber.     The 
second  part  is  a  square  block  of  brickwork  now  mostly  known  by  the 
Burmese  term  'tee'.     This  is  the  caturassacaya  of  our  passage. 
Finally  the  'tee'  forms  the  base  for  the  conical  spire  (chatta  = 
parasol)   that  crowns  the  whole.    PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  263. 
In  32.  5  is  evidently  muddhavedi  '  top  or  upper-terrace'  or  'rail', 
a  designation  of  the  '  tee  '.    Cf.  Appendix  D,  s.v.  vedi. 

2  Cf.  17.  56. 

3  Tika :    khattiyabrahmanadivividhavisesajanaparivara- 
hetubhutani  punnani  pi  pare  ca  karentiti  attho  'they  make 
also  others  to  perform   meritorious  works  which  are  the  cause  of 
(obtaining)    a  following  of  eminent  people  of  various    kinds  as 
khattiyas,  brahuianas  and  so  forth.' 


CHAPTEK  XXXII 

THE  ENTRANCE  INTO  THE  TUSITA-HEAVEN 

1  ERE  yet  the  making  of  the  chatta  and  the  plaster-work l 
on  the  cetiya  was  finished  the  king  fell  sick  with  a  sickness 

2  that  was  (fated)   to   be  mortal.     He  sent  for   his   younger 
brother  Tissa  from  Dighavapi  and  said  to  him :  '  Complete 

3  thou  the  work  of  the  thupa  that  is  not  yet  finished/     Because 
of    his    brother's    weakness    he    had    a    covering    made    of 
white   cloths   by   seamsters    and   therewith   was   the   cetiya 

4  covered,  and  thereon  did  he  command  painters  to  make  on  it  a 
vedika  duly  and  rows  of  filled  vases  likewise  and  the  row  with 

5  the  five-finger  ornament.2     And  he  had  a   chatta  made  of 
bamboo-reeds  by  plaiters  of  reeds  and  on  the  upper  vedika 

6  a  sun  and  moon  of  kharapatta.3     And  when  he  had  had  this 
(thupa)  painted  cunningly  with  lacquer  and  kahkutthaka  4  he 
declared  to  the  king :  '  That  which  was  yet  to  do  to  the  thupa 
is  completed/ 

7  Lying  on  a  palanquin  the  king  went  thither,  and  when  on 

1  On  chatta  see  note  to  31.  124.     By  sudhakamma  is  meant 
covering  with  stucco  the   dome  of  the  cetiya  which  was  made  of 
brick. 

2  The  vedika  (rail)  seems,  as  it  was  counterfeited  in  painting,  to 
have  been  merely  an  ornament.     '  Buddhist  railings '  occur  in  low- 
relief  as  ornament  on  the  cornice  of  the  first  pasada  of  the  Ruwan- 
wseli-dagaba  (SMITHER,  Anurddhapura,  p.  26)  as  also,  which  may 
be  taken  into  account  here,  on  the  *  tee '  of  the  Abhayagiri  and  the 
Jetavana-dagaba  (SMITHER,  pp.  47  and  52).     We  also  frequently 
meet  with  'urns  '  as  ornaments.     But  it  is  not  clear  what  ornament 
is  meant  by  pancangulikapantika. 

3  Muddhavedi  =  'tee\  see  note  to  31.  124.    The  picture  of  the 
sun  on  the  four  sides  of  the  'tee*  is  an  emblem  constantly  found. 
Kharapatta=Skt.  kharapatra  is  a  name  of  different  plants. 

4  On  kankutthaka'a  kind  of  soil  or  mould  of  a  golden  or  silver 
colour '  =  Skt.  karikustha,  see  Mah.  ed.,  p.  355. 


xxxii.  19     The  Entrance  into  the  Tusita-Heaven      221 

his  palanquin  he  had  passed  round  the  cetiya,  going  toward 
the  left,  he  paid  homage  to  it  at  the  south  entrance,  and  as  he  8 
then,  lying-  on  his  right  side  on  his  couch  spread  upon  the 
ground,  beheld  the  splendid  Great  Thupa,  and  lying  on  his  9 
left  side  the  splendid  Lohapasada,  he  became  glad  at  heart, 
surrounded  by  the  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus. 

Since  they  had  come  from  here  and  there  to  have  news  of  the  10 
sick  (king),  there  were  (present)  in  that  assembly  ninety-six 
kotis  of  bhikkhus.     The  bhikkhus,  group  by  group,  recited  in  1 1 
chorus.  When  the  king  did  not  see  the  thera  Theraputtabhaya 
among  them  he  thought:    "The  great  warrior,  who  fought  12 
victoriously  through  twenty-eight  great  battles  with  me  nor 
ever  yielded  his  ground,  the  thera  Therasutabhaya  comes  not  1 3 
now  to  help  me,  now  that  the  death-struggle  is  begun,  for 
methinks  he  (fore)sees  my  defeat/ 

When  the  thera,  who  dwelt  by  the  source  of  the  Karinda-  1 4 
river1  on  the  Panjali-mountain,  knew  his  thought  he  came  15 
with  a  company  of  five  hundred  (bhikkhus)  who  had  over- 
come the  asavas,  passing  through  the  air  by  his  miraculous 
power,  and  he  stood  among  those  who  surrounded  the  king. 
When  the  king  saw  him  he  was  glad  at  heart  and  he  bade  him  1 6 
be  seated  before  him  and  said :  '  Formerly  I  fought  with  you, 
the  ten  great  warriors,  by  my  side  ;   now  have  I  entered  alone  1 7 
upon  the  battle  with  death,  and  the  foe  death  I  cannot  conquer.' 

The  thera  answered:  ' O  great  king,  fear  not,  ruler  of  men.  18 
Without  conquering  the  foe  sin  the  foe  death  is  unconquer- 
able.     All   that   has   come   into    (this   transitory)    existence  19 
must  necessarily  perish  also,  perishable  is  all  that  exists ; 2 

1  The  Kirindu-oya  or  Magama-ganga  of  which  the  mouth  is  in  the 
Southern  Province,  east  of  Hambantota,  and  the  source  in  the  mountains 
south  of  Badulla.     Consequently  the  Panjali-pabbata  must  be  sought 
here  also. 

2  The  thera  alludes  to  the  oft-quoted  verse  that  is  put  into  Sakka's 
mouth    after    the    Buddha's    death   in   the    Mahaparinibbanasutta 
(D.  II.  1578) : 

anicca  vata  samkhara  uppadavayadhammino 
uppajjitva  nirujjhanti  tesam  vupasamo  sukho 

'  Transient  are,  alas !  the  samkharas,  having  the  nature  of  growth  and 


222  Mahavamsa  xxxil.  20 

20  thus  did  the  Master  teach.     Mortality  overcomes  even  the 
Buddhas,    untouched   by    shame    or    fear;    therefore    think 
thou :  all  that  exists  is  perishable,  full  of  sorrow,  and  unreal. 

21  In  thy  last  mortal  existence1  thy  love  for  the  true  doctrine 
was  indeed  great.     Albeit  the  world  of  gods  was  within  thy 

22  sight,  yet  didst  thou,  renouncing  heavenly  bliss,  return  to 
this  world  and  didst  many  works  of  merit  in  manifold  ways. 
Moreover,  the  setting  up  of  sole  sovereignty  by  thee  did  serve 

23  to  bring  glory  to  the  doctrine.     Oh   thou  who  art  rich  in 
merit,  think  on  all  those  works  of  merit  accomplished  by  thee 
even  to  this  present  day,  then  will   all  be  well  with  thee 
straightway ! ' 

24  When  the  king  heard  the  thera's  words  he  was  glad  at 
heart  and  said :  '  In  single  combat  also  thou  art  my  help/ 

25  And  rejoicing  he  forthwith  commanded  that  the  book  of 
meritorious  deeds  be  brought,  and  he  bade  the  scribe  read  it 
aloud,  and  he  read  the  book  aloud  : 

26  'Ninety-nine  viharas  have  been  built  by  the  great  king, 
and,  with  (the  spending  of)  nineteen  kotis,2  the  Maricavatti- 

27  vihara;  the  splendid  Lohapasada  was  built  for  thirty  kotis.3 
But  these  precious  things  4  that  have  been  made  for  the  Great 

28  Thupa  were  worth  twenty  kotis;  the  rest  that  was  made  for 
the  Great  Thupa  by  the  wise  (king  was  worth)  a  thousand 

29  kotis,  O  great  king/    Thus  did  he  read.    As  he  read  further:  5 
'In  the  mountain-region  called  Kotta,  at  the  time  of  the  famine 
called  the  Akkhakhayika 6  famine,  two  precious  ear-rings  were 

30  given  (by  the  king),  and  thus  a  goodly  dish  of  sour  millet- 
decay  ;  having  been  produced  they  are  dissolved  again ;  blissful  is 
their  subjection.5    The  meaning  of  samkhara  is  by  no  means  fully 
rendered  by  *  existence '.     RHYS  DAVIDS,  S.B.  E.  xi,  p.  117;   S.B.B. 
iii,  pp.  175-176,  translates  it  with  '  each  being's  parts  and  powers'. 

This  refers  to  the  story  told  in  22.  25-41. 

Cf.  26.  25.  8  Cf.  27.47. 

According  to  the  Tika  the  adorning  of  the  relic-chamber  is  meant 
here. 

Translation  of  the  words  ti  vutte  in  32. 

Lit.  famine  during  which  the  nuts  called  akkha  (Terminalia 
Bellerica)  were  eaten,  which  at  other  times  are  used  as  dice.  In  the 
Atthakatha,  according  to  the  Tika,  the  famine  is  called  Pasana- 
chataka. 


xxxii.  39     The  Entrance  into  the  Tusita-Heaven       223 

gruel  was  gotten  for  five  great  theras  who  had  overcome  the 
asavas,  and  offered1  to  them  with  a  believing  heart;    when,  31 
vanquished  in  the  battle  of  Culanganiya,  he  was  fleeing  2  he 
proclaimed  the  hour  (of  the  meal)  and  to  the  ascetic  (Tissa),  32 
free  from  the  asavas,  who  came  thither  through  the  air  he, 
without  thought  for  himself,  gave  the  food  from  his  bowl ' — 
then  did  the  king  take  up  the  tale : 

'  In  the  week  of  the  consecration-festival  of  the   (Mari-  33 
cavatti)  vihara  as  at  the  consecration  of  the  (Loha)  pasada,  in 
the  week  when  the  (Great)  Thupa  was  begun  even  as  when 
the  relics  3  were  enshrined,  a  general,  great  and  costly  giving  34 
of  alms  was  arranged  by  me  to  the  great  community  of  both 
(sexes)   from   the  four  quarters.4     I  held  twenty-four  great  35 
Vesak  ha- festivals ; 5    three    times    did    I    bestow    the    three 
garments  on  the  brotherhood  of  the  island. 

Five  times,  each  time  for  seven  days,  have  I  bestowed  (glad  36 
at  heart)  the  rank  of  ruler  of  this  island  upon  the  doctrine.6 
I   have  had   a  thousand  lamps    with   oil   and   white    wicks  37 
burning  perpetually  in  twelve   places,   adoring  the  Blessed 
(Buddha)  with  this  offering.     Constantly  in  eighteen  places  38 
have   I   bestowed  on   the  sick   the   foods  for  the  sick  and 
remedies,  as  ordered  by  the  physicians. 

In  forty-four  places  have  I  commanded  the  perpetual  giving  39 
of  rice-foods  prepared  with  honey ; 7  and  in  as  many  places 

1  Tika:  kangutandulam  gahetva  ambilayagum  pacapetva 
attano  santikam  agatanam  Malayamahadevattheradinam 
pancannam  khinasavamahatheranam  adasi. 

2  Cf.  with  this  24.  22-31. 

3  Cf.  26.  21;  27.46;  30.4;  31.  117. 

4  Ubhato-samgha    is    bhikkhusamgha    and    bhikkhuni- 
samgha.      We  meet  with    the   epithet  catuddisa   'of  the   four 
quarters',  frequently  in  the  oldest  cave-inscriptions  of  Ceylon.     Cf. 
E.  MULLER,  Ancient  Inscriptions  in  Ceylon,  p.  73  ;  WICKREMASINGHE, 
Epigraphia  Zeylanica,  i,  p.  144  foil. 

5  Tradition  makes  the  Buddha's  nibbana  fall  on  the  full-nioon  day 
of  the  month  Vesakha  (at  that  time  March-April),  Sum.  I,  p.  2  ; 
Smp.,  p.  283  ;  Mah.  3.  2.    See  FLEET,  J.R.A.S.  1909,  p.  6  foil. 

6  Cf.  31.  90-92;  111. 

7  Tika:   samkhatam  madhupayasam,  sakkharamadhusap- 
pitelehi  samyojitam  madhupayasam. 


224  Mahavamsa  xxxn.  40 

40  lumps    of    rice    with    oil,1     and    in    even    as    many    places 
great  jala-cakes,2  baked  in   butter  and   also  therewith   the 

41  ordinary  rice.     For  the  uposatha-festivals  I  have  had  oil  for 
the   lamps   distributed    one   day    in   every   month   in   eight 

42  viharas  on  the   island  of  Lanka.     And  since  I  heard  that 
a  gift   (by  preaching)   of  the   doctrine  is  more  than  a  gift 
of  worldly  wealth  I  said  :  At  the  foot  of  the  Lohapasada,  in 

43  the  (preacher's)  chair  in  the  midst  of  the  brotherhood,  I  will 
preach  the  Mahgalasutta  to  the   brotherhood ; 3    but    when 
I  was  seated  there  I  could  not  preach  it,  from  reverence  for 

44  the  brotherhood.     Since  then  I  have  commanded  the  preach- 
ing of   the  doctrine  everywhere,  in  the  viharas  of   Lanka, 

45  giving  rewards  to  the  preachers.     To  each  preacher  of  the 
doctrine  did  I  order  to  give  a  nail4  of  butter,  molasses  and 

46  sugar ;  moreover,  I  bestowed  on  them  a  handful  of  liquorice,5 
four  inches   long,   and   I   gave   them,   moreover,  a   pair  of 
garments.     But  all  this  giving  while  that  I  reigned,  rejoices 

47  not  my  heart;  only  the  two  gifts  that  I  gave,  without  care 
for  my  life,  the  while  I  was  in  adversity,  those  gladden  my 
heart.' 

48  When  the  thera  Abhaya  heard  this  he  described  those  two 
gifts,  to  rejoice  the  king's  heart  withal,  in  manifold  ways  : 

49  «  When  (the  one)  of  those  five  theras  6  the  thera  Malayama- 
hadeva,  who  received  the  sour  millet-gruel,  had  given  thereof 

50  to   nine  hundred   bhikkhus  on  the    Sumanakuta-mountain 7 
he  ate  of   it  himself.      But   the  thera   Dhammagutta  who 

51  could  cause  the  earth  to  quake  shared  it  with  the  bhikkhus 
in  the  Kalyanika-vihara,8  (who  were)  five  hundred  in  num- 

52  ber,  and  then  ate  of  it  himself.     The  thera  Dhammadinna, 

1  Tika:    telullopakam    eva    cati,    telaussadakhirasappi- 
mandasamkhatam  alopadanam  ca  adapayim. 

2  What  jalapuva  is  I  do  not  know.    Nor  does  the  Tika  give  any 
explanation. 

3  Sutta-nipata,  ed.  FAUSBOLL,  p.  45.    See  note  to  30.  83. 

4  See  note  to  30.  37. 

5  Yatthimadhuka  (=  Skt.  yastimadhuka)  the  same  as  ma- 
dhulatthika  in  CHILDERS,  P.D.,  s.  v. 

6  A  detailed  narration  of  the  story  alluded  to  in  32.  30. 

7  See  note  to  1.  33.  8  See  note  to  1.  63. 


xxxii.  63     The  Entrance  into  the  Tusita-Heaven      225 

dwelling  in  Talanga,  gave  to  twelve  thousand  (bhikkhus)  in 
Piyahgudipa 1  and  then  ate  of  it.     The  thera  Khuddatissa  of  53 
wondrous  power,  who  dwelt  in  Mangana,  divided  it  among 
sixty  thousand  (bhikkhus)  in   the  Kelasa  (vihara)  and  then 
ate   of   it   himself.     The   thera  Mahavyaggha  gave  thereof  54 
to  seven  hundred  (bhikkhus)  in  the  Ukkanagara- vihara  and 
then  ate  of  it  himself.2 

The  thera3  who  received  the  food  in  his  dish  divided  it  55 
among  twelve  thousand  bhikkhus  in  Piyahgudipa  and  then 
ate  of  it  himself/ 

With  such  words  as  these  the  thera  Abhaya  gladdened  the  56 
king's  mood,  and  the  king,  rejoicing  in  his  heart,  spoke  thus 
to  the  thera : 

'Twenty-four  years  have  I  been  a  patron  of  the  brother-  57 
hood,  and  my  body  shall  also  be  a  patron  of  the  brotherhood. 
In  a  place  whence  the  Great  Thupa  may  be  seen,  in   the  58 
malaka4    (bounded   about)    for   the    ceremonial   acts   of  the 
brotherhood,   do   ye   burn   the   body   of   me  the  servant  of 
the  brotherhood/ 

To  his  younger  brother  he  said :    '  All  the  work  of  the  59 
Great  Thupa  which  is  still  unfinished,  do  thou  complete,  my 
dear  Tissa,  caring  duly  for  it.     Evening  and  morning  offer  60 
thou  flowers  at  the  Great  Thupa  and  three  times  (in  the  day) 
command  a  solemn  oblation  at  the  Great  Thupa.      All  the  61 
ceremonies  introduced  by  me  in  honour  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
Blessed  (Buddha)  do  thou  carry  on,  my  dear,  stinting  nothing. 
Never  grow  weary,  my  dear,  in  duty  toward  the  brother-  62 
hood.'     When  he  had  thus  exhorted  him,  the  king  fell  into 
silence. 

At  this  moment  the  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus  began  the  63 
chanting  in  chorus,  and  the  devatas  led  thither  six  cars  with 

1  See  note  to  24.  25.    We  cannot  establish  the  identity  of  Talanga. 
TURNOUR  (Mah.,  p.  25)  says:  'Singh.  Talaguru-wihare  in  Rohana 
not  identified.' 

2  The  geographical  names   in  53  and  54  cannot  be  identified. 
Kelasa  according  to  29.  43  was  a  monastery  in  India. 

3  The  allusion  in  this  verse  is  to  the  story  in  24.  22-31  ;  32.  31-32. 

4  See  note  to  15.  29. 


226  Mahavamsa  XXXII.  64 

64  six  gods,  and  severally  the  gods  implored  the  king  as  they 
stood  in  their  cars :  '  Enter  into  our  delightful  celestial  world, 

0  king/ 

65  When  the  king  heard  their  words  he  stayed  them  with 
a  gesture  of  his  hand :  '  Wait  ye  as  long  as  I  listen  to  the 

66  dhamma/     Then  the   bhikkhus   thinking :    '  He  would  fain 
stop  the  chanting  in  chorus/  ceased  from  their  recitations; 

67  the  king  asked  the  reason  of  the  interruption.     '  Because  the 
sign  (to  bid  us)  "  be  still "  was  given/  they  answered.     But 
the  king  said :  '  It  is  not  so,  venerable  sirs/  and  he  told  them 
what  had  passed. 

68  When  they   heard   this,   certain   of   the  people  thought: 

1  Seized  by  the  fear  of  death,  he  wanders  in  his  speech/     And 

69  to  banish  their  doubts  the  thera  Abhaya  spoke  thus  to  the 
king :  *  How  would  it  be  possible  to  make  known  (the  presence 

70  of)  the  cars  that  have   been   brought  hither?'      The  wise 
king  commanded  that  garlands  of  flowers  be  flung  into  the 
air,  these   severally  wound  themselves  around  the  poles  of 
the  cars  and  hung  loose  from  them. 

71  When  the  people  saw  them  floating  free  in  the  air,  they 
conquered   their   doubts ;    but   the  king  said  to  the   thera : 

72  « Which  of  the  celestial  worlds  is  the  most  beautiful,  venerable 
sir  ? '     And  the  other  answered  :  f  The  city  of  the  Tusitas,1 

73  O  king,  is  the  fairest;    so  think  the  pious.     Awaiting  the 
time  when   he  shall   become  a  Buddha,   the   compassionate 
Bodhisatta  Metteyya2  dwells  in  the  Tusita-city.' 

74  When  the  most  wise  king  heard  these  words  of  the  thera, 
he,  casting  a  glance  at  the  Great  Thupa,  closed  his  eyes  as 
he  lay. 

75  And  when  he,  even  at  that  moment,  had  passed  away,  he 
was  seen,  reborn  and  standing  in  celestial  form  in  the  car 

76  that  had  come  from  Tusita-heaven.     And  to  make  manifest 
the  reward  of  the  works  of  merit  performed  by  him  he  drove, 

77  showing  himself  in   all   his  glory  to  the   people,   standing 
on    the   same   car,   three   times   around    the   Great    Thupa, 

1  See  note  to  30.  88. 

2  Metteyya  =  Skt.  Maitreya  is  the  name  of  the  future  Buddha, 
successor  of  the  historic  Buddha  Gotama. 


xxxii.  84     The  Entrance  into  the  Tusita-Heaven      227 

going-  to  the  left,  and  then,  when  he  had  done  homage  to  the 
thupa  and  the  brotherhood  he  passed  into  the  Tusita-heaven. 

Even  where  the  dancing- women  who  had  come  thither  laid  78 
off  their  head -ornaments  there  was  a  hall  built  called  Maku- 
tamuttasala.     Even  where  the  people,  when  the  body  of  the  79 
king  was  laid  on  the  funeral  pyre,  broke  into  wailing  there 
was  the  so-called  Ravivattisala  built. 

The  malaka  outside  the  precincts   (of  the  monastery),  in  80 
which  they  burned  the  body  of  the  king  here  bears  the  name 
Rajamalaka. 

The  great  king  Dutthagamani,  he  who  is  worthy  of  the  81 
name   of   king,   will   be   the    first   disciple    of   the   sublime 
Metteyya,  the  king's  father  (will  be)   his  father1  and  the  82 
mother  his  mother.1     The  younger  brother  Saddhatissa  will 
be  his  second  disciple,  but  Salirajakumara,  the  king's  son,  83 
will  be  the  son  of  the  sublime  Metteyya. 

He  who,  holding  the  good  life  to  be  the  greatest  (good),  84 
does  works  of  merit,  passes,  covering  over  much  that  perchance 
is  evil-doing,2  into  heaven  as  into  his  own  house;  therefore 
will  the  wise  man  continually  take  delight  in  works  of  merit. 

Here  ends  the  thirty-second  chapter,  called  '  The  Entrance 
into  the  Tusita-heaven ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the 
serene  joy  and  emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  That  is,  Metteyya's. 

2  Niyatapapakam  is  that  which  is  certainly  or  without  doubt 
evil;  aniyatapapakam  that  which  is  possibly  evil.    Here  there  is 
an  allusion  to  the  scruples  of  conscience  which  the  king  himself  felt 
at  the  close  of  his  warlike  career.     See  25.  103  foil. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE   TEN   KINGS 

1  UNDER  the  rule  of  the  king  Dutthagamani  the  subjects 
in    the   kingdom   lived   happily ;    Salirajakumara    was    his 
famous  son. 

2  Greatly  gifted  was  he  and  ever  took  delight  in  works  of 
merit ;    he  tenderly  loved  a  candala  woman  of  exceedingly 

3  great  beauty.     Since  he  was  greatly  enamoured  of  the  Aso- 
kamaladevi,  who   already  in  a  former  birth  had   been   his 
consort,1   because   of   her  loveliness,   he   cared   nothing  for 

4  kingly  rule.      Therefore  Dutthaga mani's   brother,   SADDHA- 
TISSA,  anointed  king  after  his  death,  ruled,  a  peerless  (prince), 

5  for  eighteen  years.     He  finished  the  work  on  the  parasol, 
and  the  plaster- work  and  the  elephant-wall 2  of   the  Great 

6  Thupa,  he  who  won  his  name  by  his  faith.3    The  magnificent 
Lohapasada  caught  fire  from  a  lamp ;  he  built  the  Lohapasada 

7  anew,  seven  stories  high.     And  now  was  the  pasada  worth 
(only)  ninety  times  a  hundred  thousand.     He  built  the  Dak- 

8  khinagiri- vihara  4  and  the  (vihara)  Kallakalena,  the  Kalam- 
baka-vihara,  and  the  (vihara)  Pettangavalika,   (the  viharas) 

1  The  story  is  told  at  length  in  the  Tika.     Cf.  GEIGER,  Dtp.  and 
Mah.,  p.  37. 

2  Hatthipakara:  according  to  PARKER  (Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  284), 
who  bases  his  conjecture  on  the  dimensions  of  the  tiles,  the  sustaining- 
wall  of  the  upper  'pasada'  on  which  are  figures  of  elephants  in 
relief.      The   sustaining-wall    of  the    great  terrace  on  which    the 
Ruwanwseli-dagaba  stands  is  also  ornamented  with  similar  figures  of 
elephants  in  relief,  the  forepart  of  the  body  jutting  out  from  the 
wall   (SMITHER,  Anurddhapura,  p.  40).     But  this  hatthipakara 
seems  to  be  of  later  origin. 

*  A  play  on  the  name  Saddhatissa  from  saddha  =  faith. 

4  A  monastery  of  this  name  appears  also  in  the  Culavamsa,  52.  60. 


xxxm.  21  The  Ten  Kings  229 

Velangavitthika,1   Dubbalavapitissaka  and  Duratissakavapi,2  9 
and  the  Matuviharaka.     He  also  built  viharas  (from  Anura- 
dhapura)  to  Dighavapi,  one  for  every  yojana  (of  the  way). 

Moreover,    he    founded   the    Dighavapi-vihara 3   together  10 
with  the  cetiya;   for  this  cetiya  he  had  a  covering  of  net- 
work 4  made  set  with  gems,  and  in  every  mesh  thereof  was  1 1 
hung  a  splendid  flower  of  gold,  large  as  a  waggon-wheel, 
that  he  had  commanded  them  to  fashion.     (In  honour)  of  12 
the  eighty-four  thousand  sections  of  the  dhamma  the  ruler 
commanded  also  eighty-four  thousand  offerings.     When  the  13 
king  had  thus  accomplished  many  works  of  merit  he  was 
reborn,  after  his  death,  among  the  Tusita  gods. 

While  the  great  king  Saddhatissa  lived  yet  in  Dighavapi  14 
his  eldest  son  Lafijatissa5  built  the  beautiful  vihara  called 
Girikumbhila  ;  and  Thulathana,  a  younger  son  of  this  same  1 5 
(king),   built  the  vihara  called  Kandara.     When  his  father  16 
(Saddhatissa)  went  to  his  brother  (Dutthagamani  at  Anura- 
dhapura)  Thulathanaka  went  with  him,  to  bestow  land  for  the 
use  of  the  brotherhood  upon  his  vihara. 

WThen  Saddhatissa  died  all  the  counsellors  assembled,  and  1 7 
when  they  had  summoned  together  the  whole  brotherhood  of 
bhikkhus  in  the  Thuparama,  they,  with  the  consent  of  the  18 
brotherhood  consecrated  the  prince  THULATHANA  as  king,  that 
he   might  take  the  kingdom  under  his  protection.     When 
LANJATISSA  heard  this  he  came  hither,6  overpowered7  him,  19 
and  took  the  government  upon  himself.     Only  for  one  month 
and  ten  days  had  Thulathana  been  king. 

During   three  years  did  Lanjatissa   use   the   brotherhood  20 
slightingly  and  neglect  them,  with  the  thought :  ( They  did 
not    decide   according  to   age/     When,  afterwards,  he  was  21 

1  See  37.  48. 

2  The  tank  Duratissa  is  situated  in  Rohana  not  far  from  Mahagama. 
PARKER,  I.  L,  p.  393  foil. 

3  See  note  to  1.  78. 

4  The  Tika  explains  nanaratanakacchannam  by  sattarata- 
nakhacitajalam. 

8  Lajjitissa  or  Lanjitissa  are  variants  of  this  name. 

6  That  is,  to  Anuradhapura. 

7  Gahetva  is,  without  doubt,  an  euphemism  for  '  (having)  killed  '. 


230  Mahavamsa  xxxill.  22 

reconciled  with  the  brotherhood,  the  king  built,  in  atonement, 

22  spending  three  hundred  thousand  (pieces  of  money),  three 
stone  terraces  for  offerings  of  flowers  J  to  the  Great  Cetiya, 
and  then  did  the  lord  of  the  land,   with  (the  expense   of) 

23  a  hundred  thousand,  have  the  earth  heaped  up  between  the 
Great  Thupa  and  the  Thuparama 2  so  that  it  was  level.    More- 
over, he  made  a  splendid  stone  mantling  to  the  thupa  in  the 

24  Thuparama,  and  to  the  east  of  the  Thuparama  a  little  thupa 
built  of  stones,3  and  the  Lanjakasana  hall  for  the  brotherhood 

25  of  bhikkhus.     Moreover,  he  had  a  mantling  made  of  stone 
for  the  Khandhakathupa.     When   he  had  spent  a  hundred 

26  thousand  for  the  Cetiya- vihara 4  he  commanded  that  at  the 
(consecration)  festival  of  the  vihara  called  Girikumbhila  the 
six  garments  5  be  distributed  to  sixty  thousand  bhikkhus. 

27  He  built  the  Arittha-vihara  6  and  the  (vihara)  Kunjarahi- 
naka,  and  to   the   bhikkhus   in  the  villages  he   distributed 

28  medicines.     To  the   bhikkhunls  he  ordered  to   give  rice  as 
much  as  they  wanted.     Nine  years  and  one  half-month  did 
he  reign  here. 

29  When  Lafijakatissa  was  dead  his  younger  brother  named 

30  KHALLATANAGA  reigned  six  years.     Round  about  the  Loha- 

1  See  note  to  30.  51. 

2  The  Thuparama  is  situated  400  yards  north  of  the  Ruwanwseli- 


3  PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  297,  identifies  the  thupa  called  Digha- 
thupa  in  the   Dip.,   with   the  so-called   Khujjatissarama  or  Sela- 
dagaba.     But  this  is  not  situated  to  the  east  (the  Mah.  has  purato 
just  as  the  Dip.  20.  11  describes  the  position  of  the  Dighathupa  by 
Thuparama-puratthato)  but  to  the  south-east  of  the  Thuparama, 
and  it  is  twice  as  far  from  this  latter  as  from  the  Ruwanwseli-dagaba, 
so  that  orientation  by  the  last-named,  would  be  much  more  to  the 
purpose.     SMITHER  (Anurddhapum,  p.  55)  is  probably  right  in  the 
conjecture  that  there  is  a  reference  in  silathupaka  to  a  little  stone 
dagaba,  a  sort  of  model,  similar  to  one  that  stands  on  the  platform  of 
the  Ruwanwseli-dagaba. 

4  The  monastery  on  the  Cetiyapabbata  or  Missaka-mountain.    Cf. 
note  to  20.  16. 

6  That  is,  to  each  one  a  pair  of  the  three  articles  of  clothing 
(ticlvara),  the  antaravasaka  ' under-garment,  shirt',  the  utta- 
rasanga  '  robe ',  and  the  samghat!  '  mantle  '. 

8  On  the  Aritthapabbata,  now  Ritigala.     See  note  to  10.  63. 


xxxni.  42  TJie  Ten  Kings  231 

pasada    he    built    thirty-two    exceedingly   beautiful    (other) 
pasadas x  to  make  the  Lohapasada  yet  more  splendid.     Round  3 1 
the  Great  Thupa,  the  beautiful   Hemamali,2  he  made  as  a 
border  a  court3  (strewn)  with  sand  and  a  wall.     Moreover,  he  32 
built  the  Kurundavasoka-vihara,  and  yet  other  works  of  merit 
did  the  king-  carry  out. 

A   commander  of   troops   named   Kammaharattaka,  over-  33 
powered  the  ruler,  king  Khallatanaga,  in  the  capital  itself. 
But  the  king's  younger  brother  named  VATTAGAMANI  killed  34 
the  villainous  commander  and  took  on  himself  the  govern- 
ment.    The   little   son   of   his   brother,  king  Khallatanaga,  35 
whose  name  was  Mahaculika,  he  took  as  his  son ;  and  the  36 
(child's)    mother,    Anuladevi,   he   made    his   queen.       Since 
he  had  thus  taken  the  place  of   a   father  they  called  him 
Pitiraja.4 

In  the  fifth  month  after  he  was  thus  anointed  king,  a  young  3  7 
brahman  named  Tissa,  in  Rohana,  in  the  city  (that  was  the 
seat)  of  his  clan,5  hearkened,  fool  that  he  was,  to  the  pro-  33 
phesying  of  a  brahman  and  became  a  rebel,  and  his  following 
waxed   great.      Seven  Damilas  landed  (at   the    same   time)  39 
with  their  troops  in  Mahatittha.6     Then  Tissa  the  brahman 
and  the  seven  Damilas  also  sent  the  king  a  written  message  49 
concerning  the  (handing  over  of  the)  parasol.7     The  sagacious 
king  sent  a  written  message  to  Tissa  the  brahman:    'The  41 
kingdom   is   now   thine,   conquer  thou    the   Damilas/      He 
answered :  '  So  be  it,'  and  fought  a  battle  with  the  Damilas, 
but  they  conquered  him. 

Thereupon   the   Damilas   made   war   upon   the   king;    in.  42 

1  Perhaps  dwellings  of  smaller  dimensions,  for  the  bhikkhus. 

2  See  15.  167  ;  17.  51  and  27.  3. 

3  Literally,  a  '  sandcourt-boundary '.    The  allusion  is  to  the  so-called 
elephant-path  that  runs  all  round  the  terrace   of  the  Ruwanwseli- 
dagaba  and  is  bounded  on  the  outside  by  a  wall.    On  the  east,  south, 
and  north  it  is  97  feet  wide,  on  the  west,  i.e.  at  the  back,  88|  feet, 
SMITHER.  I.  L,  p.  41. 

4  I.e. 'King  father.' 

5  I  read  kulanagare  and  understand  by  this  Mahagama  the 
town  from  which  the  dynasty  of  Dutthagamani  came. 

8  See  note  to  7.  58.  7  As  the  symbol  of  kingly  rank. 


232  Mahavamsa  xxxm.  43 

a  battle  near  Kolambalaka l  the  king-  was  vanquished.  (Near 
the  gate  of  the  Tittharama  he  mounted  into  his  car  and  fled. 
But  the  Tittharama  was  built  by  king  Pandukabhaya  and  it 

43  had  been  constantly  inhabited  under  twenty-one  kings.)  2     As 
a  nigantha  3  named  Giri  saw  him  take  flight  he  cried  out 

44  loudly:  'The  great  black  lion  is  fleeing/  4     When  the  great 
king  heard  that  he  thought  thus :   '  If  my  wish  be  fulfilled 
I  will  build  a  vihara  here.' 

45  He    took    Anuladevi    with    him,    who    was    with   child, 
thinking :  '  She  must  be  protected/  and  Mahacula  also  and 
(his  son)  the  prince  Mahanaga,  also  thinking  :  '  They  must  be 

46  protected.'     But,  to  lighten  the  car  the  king  gave  to  Soma- 
devl 5  his  splendid  diadem-jewel  and  let  her,  with  her  own 
consent,  descend  from  the  car. 

47  When  going  forth  to  battle  he  had  set  out,  full  of  fears, 
taking  his  little  son  and  his  two  queens  with  him.     Being 

48  vanquished  he  took  flight  and,  unable  to  take  with  him  the 
almsbowl  used  by  the  Conqueror,6  he  hid  in  the  Vessagiri- 

49  forest.7     When  the  thera  Mahatissa  from  Kupikkala  (vihara) 
saw  him  there,  he  gave  him  food,  avoiding  thereby  the  giving 

50  of  an  untouched  alms.8     Thereon  the  king,  glad  at  heart, 

1  Evidently    identical   with    the   Kolambahalaka,    mentioned    in 
25.  80.    See  the  note  thereon. 

2  The  passage  enclosed  in  brackets  occurs  in  all  the  groups  of  MSS. 
and  is  also  referred  to  in  the  Tika.     I  have  omitted  the  three  lines  of 
verse  from  the  edition,  chiefly  for  reasons  of  form  (see  Introduction, 
p.  xxi)  as  being  a  later  gloss.     The  battle  took  place  not  far  from  the 
north  gate  of  the  city.     See  also  25.  80  foil,  and  the  note  to  33.  81. 

3  See  note  to  10.  97.    The  name  Tittharama  alone  indicates  that 
the  monastery  was  inhabited  by  non-Buddhist  monks  (tittha=sect). 

4  Mahakalasihala  is  a  play  on  the  word  siha  'lion'  and  the 
name  sihala  (Mah.  7.  42). 

6  His  second  wife. 

6  According  to  Mah.  17.  12  foil,  it  had  come  to  Ceylon  as  a  relic 
in  the  time  of  king  Devanampiyatissa. 

7  South  of  Anuradhapura.   See  note  to  20. 15  on  the  Vessagiri-vihara. 

8  The  bhikkhu  is  not  allowed  to  share  with  a  layman  before  he 
himself  has  eaten  of  the  food  that  he  has  received  as  alms.     So 
Mahatissa  first  ate  of  the  food  and  then  offered  some  to  the  king. 
SUBHUTI,  communication  in  a  letter  of  Feb.  27,  1903. 


xxxili.  64  The  Ten  Kings  233 

recording-  it  upon  a  ketaka-leaf,1  allotted  lands  to  his  vihara 
for  the  use  of  the  brotherhood.     From  thence,  he  went  to  51 
Silasobbhakandaka 2  and  sojourned  there ;    then  he  went  to 
Matuvelahga  near  Samagalla  and  there  met  the  thera  (Kupik-  52 
kalamahatissa)  whom  he  had  already  seen  before.     The  thera 
entrusted  the  king  with  due  carefulness  to  Tanasiva,  who  was 
his  attendant.    Then  in  the  house  of  this  Tanasiva,  his  subject,  53 
the  king  lived  3  fourteen  years,  maintained  by  him. 

Of  the  seven  Damilas  one,  fired  with  passion  for  the  lovely  54 
Somadevi,  made  her  his  own  and  forthwith  returned  again 
to  the  further  coast.4     Another  took  the  almsbowl  of  the  55 
(Master)  endowed  with  the  ten  miraculous  powers,  that  was 
in  Anuradhapura,  and  returned  straightway,  well  contented, 
to  the  other  coast. 

But  the  Damila  PULAHATTHA  reigned  three  years,  making  56 
the  Damila  named  Bahiya  commander  of  his  troops.     BAHIYA  57 
slew  5  Pulahattha  and  reigned  two  years ;  his  commander-in- 
chief  was  Panayamara.    PANAYAMARAKA  slew  Bahiya  and  was  58 
king  for  seven  years ;  his  commander-in-chief  was  Pilayamara. 
PILAYAMARAKA  slew  Panayamara   and   was   king   for  seven  59 
months;    his   commander-in-chief   was   Dathika.      And   the  60 
Damila  DATHIKA  slew  Pilayamara  and  reigned  two  years  in 
Anuradhapura.     Thus  the  time  of  these  five  Damila-kings  61 
was  fourteen  years  and  seven  months. 

When    one    day,   in    Malaya,   Anuladevi    went    to    seek  62 
her  (daily)  portion  the  wife  of  Tanasiva  struck  against  her 
basket  with  her  foot.     And  she  was  wroth  and  came  weeping  63 
to  the  king.     When  Tanasiva  heard  this  he  hastened  forth 
(from  the  house)  grasping  his  bow.     When  the  king   had  64 
heard  what  the  queen  said,  he,  ere  yet  the  other  came,  took 

1  Pandanus  odoratissimus.  As  a  rule  royal  donations  were  recorded 
on  copper  plates  or  might  be  on  silver  and  gold  plates.  GEIGER, 
Litteratur  und  Sprache  der  Singhalesen,  pp.  24-25. 

8  Cf.  note  to  33.  87 ;  judging  from  the  Tika  we  should  probably 
read  °kandakamhi  rather  than  °katakamhi. 

3  Tahim  =  in  Malaya,  according  to  33.  62. 

4  That  is,  he  returned  oversea  to  India. 
6  Gahetva.    Cf.  note  to  33.  19. 


234  Malavamsa  xxxill.  65 

65  the  two  boys  and  his  consort  and  hastened  out  also.     Patting1 
the  arrow  to  his  bow l  the  glorious  (hero)  transfixed  Siva  2  as  he 
came  on.     The  king  proclaimed  (then)  his  name  and  gathered 

66  followers  around  him.    He  obtained  as  ministers  eight  famous 
warriors,  and  great  was  the  following  of  the  king  and  his 
equipment  (for  war). 

67  The  famous   (king)  sought  out   the   thera  Mahatissa   of 
Kupikkala  and  commanded  that  a  festival  in  honour  of  the 

68  Buddha  be  held  in  the  Acchagalla-vihara.3    At  the  very  time 
when  the  minister  Kapisisa,  having  gone  up  to  the  courtyard 
of  the  Akasa-cetiya  to  sweep  the  building,  had  come  down 

69  from  thence,  the  king,  who  was  going  up  with  the  queen, 
saw  him  sitting  by  the  road,  and  being  wroth  with  him  that 
he  had  not  flung  himself  down  (before  him)  he  slew  Kapisisa. 

70  Then  in  anger  against  the  king  the  other  seven  ministers 
withdrew  themselves  from  him,  and  going  whither  it  seemed 

71  good  to  them,  they  were   stripped  of   their   possessions   by 
robbers   on   the  way,  and   they  took   refuge  in  the  vihara 
Hambugallaka  where  they  sought  out  the  learned  thera  Tissa. 

72  The  thera,  who  was  versed  in  the  four  nikayas,4  gave  them, 
as  he  had  received  it  (as  alms),  clothing,  sugar  and  oil,  arid 
rice,  too,  in  sufficing  measure. 

73  When    he   had   refreshed    them    the    thera   asked    them : 
'Whither  are  you  going ?'      They  made  themselves  known 

74  to  him,  and  told  him  this  matter.    But  when  they  were  asked 
afterwards:   'With  whom  will  it  be  possible  to  further  the 
doctrine  of  the  Buddha?     With   the  Damilas  or  with  the 

75  king?'  they  answered:   '  By  the  king  will  this  be  possible.' 
And   when  they  had  thus  convinced  them  the  two  theras, 

1  Cf.  the  Skt.  dhanuh  samdha  in  the  same  sense  B.R.,  Skt.  Wtb., 
s.  v.  dha  with  sam. 

2  A  play  on  the  words  Sivam  and  mahasivo. 

3  See  note  to  21.  6.     If  the  Tika  is  right  in  placing  the  Accha- 
galla-vihara   to  the    east    of    Anuradhapura,    the    akasacetiya 
mentioned  in  verse  68  cannot  be  identical  with  that  mentioned  in 
22.  26  (see  the  note).     The  site  of  the  latter  is,  no  doubt,  in  Rohana. 

4  I.e.  in  the  four  oldest  collections  of  the  Sutta-pitaka :    Digha-, 
Majjhima-,  Samyutta-  and  Anguttara-nikaya. 


XXXIIT.  86  The  Ten  Kings  235 

Tissa  and  Mahatissa,  took  them  forth  from  thence  and  brought  76 
them  to  the  king-  and  reconciled  them  one  to  another.     The 
king  and  the  ministers  besought  the  theras  saying :  '  If  our  7  7 
undertaking  has  prospered  then  must  ye  come  to  us,  when 
a  message  is  sent  to  you.'     The  theras  agreed  and  returned 
each  one  to  his  place. 

When  the  renowned  king  had  come  to  Anuradhapura  and  78 
had  slain  the  Damila  Dathika  he  himself  assumed  the  govern- 
ment.    And  forthwith  the  king  destroyed  the  arama  of  the  79 
niganthas  and  built  there  a  vihara  with  twelve  cells.     When  80 
two  hundred  and  seventeen  years  ten  months  and  ten  days 
had  passed  since  the  founding  of  the  Mahavihara  the  king,  81 
filled  with  pious  zeal,  built  the  Abhayagiri- vihara.1     He  sent  82 
for  the  (two)  theras,  and  to  the  thera  Mahatissa,  who  had 
first  assisted  him  of  the  two,  he  gave  the  vihara,  to  do  him 
honour.     Since  the  king  Abhaya  built  it2  on  the  place  of  the  83 
arama  of  (the  nigantha)  Giri,  the  vihara  received  the  name 
Abhayagiri. 

When  he  had  sent  for  Somadevi  he  raised  her  again  to  her  84 
rank  and  built,  in  her  honour,  the  Somarama,3  bearing  her 
name.     For  this  fair  woman,  who  had  alighted  from  the  car  85 
at  this  spot  and  had  concealed  herself  in  a  thicket  of  flowering 
Kadambas,  saw  in  that  very  place  a  samanera  who  was  relieving  86 


1  According  to   33.   42-44  the  monastery  of  the  niganthas,  the 
Tittharama  stood  outside  the  north  gate  of  Anuradhapura.     Since,  on 
its  place  the  Abhayagiri-vihara  was  built,  it  cannot  be  identical  with 
the  vihara  of  the  dagaba,  which  is  now  called  the  Abhayagiri-dagaba, 
but  it  must  be  that  of  the  now  so-called  Jetavana-dagaba.    On  the 
other  hand,  as  we  will  see  below  (cf.  note  to  37.  33),  the  site  of  the 
Jetavana-vihara  must  be  looked  for  south  of  the  city  where  now 
the  so-called  Abhayagiri-dagaba  stands.    Tradition  appears  to  have 
confounded  one  name  with  the  other.     PARKER,  Ancient   Ceylon, 
p.  299  foil. 

2  The  king's  full  name  was  Vattagamani  Abhaya. 

3  The  Somarama  or  Manisomarama,  as  the  monastery  is  called 
36.  8,  106, 107  (in  allusion  to  the  story  in  33.  46)  after  the  culamani 
entrusted  to  Somadevi,  must  be  sought  near  the  Abhayagiri-vihara, 
perhaps  in  the  place  of  the  building  described  by  SMITHER,  Anurd- 
dhapura,  p.  61,  which  is  popularly  designated  the  '  Queen's  Pavilion'. 


236  Mahdvamsa  XXXIII.  87 

his  need,  using  (decently)  his  hand  for  concealment.     When 
the  king-  heard  her  story  he  built  a  vihara  there. 

87  To  the  north  of  the  Mahathupa  this  same  king-  founded 
upon  a  lofty  spot  the  cetiya  called  Silasobbhakandaka.1 

88  One  of  the  seven  warriors  (of  the  king),  Uttiya,  built,  to 

89  the  south  of  the  city,  the  so-called  Dakkhina-vihara.2    In  the 
same  place  the  minister  named  Mula  built  the  Mulavokasa- 

90  vihara,  which  was,  therefore,  called  after  him.     The  minister 
named  Saliya  built  the  Saliyarama,  and  the  minister  named 

91  Pabbata  built  the  Pabbatarama;  but  the  minister  Tissa  founded 
the  Uttaratissarama.    When  the  beautiful  viharas  were  com- 
pleted they  sought  out  the  thera  Tissa  and  gave  them  to  him 

92  with  these  words :    '  In  gratitude  for  thy  kindness  we  give 
thee  these  viharas  built  by  us/ 

93  The  thera  established  sundry  bhikkhus  everywhere  (in  these 
viharas),  according  to  their  rank,  and  the  ministers  bestowed 
upon  the  brotherhood  the  different  (things)  useful  to  a  samana. 

94  The  king  provided  those  (bhikkhus)  living  in  his  vihara  with 
the  (needful)  things  for  use,  so  that  nothing  was  lacking: 
therefore  were  they  many  in  number. 

95  A  thera  known  by  the  name  Mahatissa,  who  had  frequented 
the  families  of  laymen,  was  expelled  by  the  brotherhood  from 
our  monastery  3  for  this  fault,  the  frequenting  of  lay-families. 

96  His  disciple,  the  thera  who  was  known  as  Bahalamassutissa, 
went  in  anger  to  the  Abhayagiri  (vihara)  and  abode  there, 

97  forming    a   (separate)    faction.      And   thenceforward    these 
bhikkhus  came  no  more  to  the  Mahavihara :   thus  did  the 
bhikkhus  of  the  Abhayagiri  (vihara)  secede  from  the  Thera- 

1  The  statement  as  to  locality,  given  in  our  verse,  points,  as 
PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  311,  rightly  insists,  to  the  Lankarama- 
dagaba,  which  is  situated  about  a  mile  north  of  the  Ruwanwaeli- 
dagaba.  It  received  this  name  in  remembrance  of  the  place  where 
Vattagamani  had  found  refuge,  according  to  33.  51. 

a  I.e.  'South  Monastery.'  PARKER,  1.  ?.,  p.  312,  identifies  the 
remains  of  the  thupa  belonging  to  this  monastery  with  the  building 
south  of  the  Mahavihara,  which  is  called  by  the  people,  '  Elara's 
sepulchre.'  See  also  note  to  35.  5. 

3  Ito  '  from  here'  is  from  the  standpoint  of  the  author,  '  out  of 
the  Mahavihara.' 


xxxiil.  103  The  Ten  Kings  237 

vada.    From  the  monks  of  the  Abhayagiri-vihara  those  of  the  98 
Dakkhina-vihara  separated  (afterwards);    in  this  wise  those 
bhikkhus   (who    had    seceded)    from   the   adherents   of   the 
Theravada  were  divided  into  two  (groups).1 

He  (the  king)  built  the  cells  of  the  vihara  so  that  a  greater  99 
number  were  joined  together,  for  he  reflected  :  '  In  this  way  it 
will  be  possible  to  restore  them/ 

The  text  of  the  three  pitakas  and  the  atthakatha  thereon 
did  the  most  wise  bhikkhus  hand  down  in  former  times  orally, 
but  since  they  saw  that  the  people  were  falling  away  (from  101 
religion)  the  bhikkhus  came  together,  and  in  order  that  the 
true  doctrine  might  endure,  they  wrote  them  down  in  books. 

Thus    did    the   king   Vattagamani-Abhaya    reign    twelve  102 
years,  and,  at  the  beginning,2  five  months  beside. 

Thus  does  the  wise  man  labour,  when  he  comes  to  rule,  for  103 
the  bliss  of  others  and  for  his  own  bliss,  but  a  man  without 
understanding  does  not  render  the  possessions  which  he  has 
won,3  however  great  they  are,  blissful  for  both,  being  greedy 
of  (more)  possessions. 

Here  ends  the  thirty-third  chapter,  called  '  The  Ten  Kings ', 
in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and  emotion 
of  the  pious. 

1  After  98  a  spurious  verse  is  interpolated  :  '  To  bring  prosperity  to 
the  bhikkhus  dwelling  on  the  island,  who  belonged  to  the  great 
Abhay a- (giri- community),  the  lord  of  the  land,  Vattagamani,  made 
over  to  them  the  so-called  patti.'     In  35.  48  patti  simply  means 
'revenue'. 

2  That  is,  before  the  Damilas  dethroned  him. 

8  Laddhabhogam,  according  to  the  Tika  stands  (metri  causa) 
for  laddha  (=labhitva,  Skt.  labdhva)  bhogam.  But,  I  think, 
this  is  not  necessary.  We  have  to  take  laddhabhogam  =  lad- 
dham  bhogam  and  ubhayahitam  as  predicative  object. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE  ELEVEN   KINGS 

1  AFTER  his  death  MAHACULI  MAHATISSA  reigned  fourteen 
years  with  piety  and  justice. 

2  Since  he  heard  that  a  gift  brought  about  by  the  work  of 
a  man's  own  hand  is  full  of  merit,  the  king,  in  the  very  first 

3  year  (of  his  reign),  went  in  disguise  and  laboured  in  the  rice- 
harvest,  and  with  the  wage  that  he  received  for  this  he  gave 

4  food  as  alms  to  the  thera  Mahasumma.     When  the  king  had 
laboured  also  in  Sonnagiri l  three  years  in  a  sugar-mill,  and 

5  had  received  lumps  of  sugar  as  wage  for  this,  he  took  the 
lumps  of  sugar,  and  being  returned  to  the  capital  he,  the  ruler 
of  the  earth,  appointed  great  almsgiving  to  the  brotherhood  of 

6  bhikkhus.    He  bestowed  clothing  on  thirty  thousand  bhikkhus 
and  the  same  on  twelve  thousand  bhikkhunis. 

7  When  the  protector  of  the  earth  had  built  a  well-planned 
vihara,  he  gave  the  six  garments  2  to  sixty  thousand  bhikkhus 

8  and  to  bhikkhunis  likewise,  in  number  thirty  thousand.     The 
same  king  built  the  Mandavapi- vihara,  the  Abhayagallaka 

9  (vihara),  the   (viharas)  Vahkavattakagalla   and  Dlghabahu- 
gallaka  and  the  Jalagama-vihara. 

10  When  the  king  (inspired)  by  faith  had  done  works  of  merit 
in  many  ways  he  passed  into  heaven,  at  the  end  of  the 
fourteen  years. 

1  I.e.    'Gold  mountain,'   according  to  the    Tika    situated    near 
Ambatthakola.    On  this  see  note  to  28.  20.    The  rocky  mountain  that 
rises  on  the  east  of  Ambatthakola  bounding  the  valley  of  Nalanda- 
Dambul  on  the  west  is  called  Rangala.      GEIGER,  Ceylon,  p.  155; 
ED.  MULLER,  Ancient  Inscriptions,  p.  36.     The  Dambulla-caves  are 
also  called  Suvannagiri-guha  in  king  Nissanka  Malla's  inscription, 
ED.  MULLER,  LI.,  pp.  92, 126. 

2  See  note  to  33.  26. 


xxxiv.  27  The  Eleven  Kings  239 

Vattagamanr's  son  known   as  CORANAGA  lived  as  a  rebel  11 
under  the  rule  of  Mahacula.     When  Mahacula  had  departed  12 
he  came  and  reigned.      Those  places,  where  he  had  found 
no  refuge  during  the  time  of  his  rebellion,  eighteen  viharas,  1 3 
did   this   fool   destroy.     Twelve  years   did    Coranaga  reign. 
And  eating  poisoned   (food)   that  his  consort  gave  him  the  14 
evildoer  died  and  was  reborn  in  the  Lokantarika-hell. 

After  his  death  king  Mahacula's  son  ruled  three  years  as  15 
king,  being  known  by  name  TISSA.     But  Coranaga's  spouse,  16 
the  infamous  Anula,  had  done  her  infamous  (consort)  to  death, 
giving  him  poison,  because  she  was  enamoured  of  one  of  the 
palace-guards.    And  for  love  of  this  same  palace-guard  Anula  1 7 
now  killed  Tissa  also  by  poison  and  gave  the  government 
into  the  hands  of  that  other. 

When  the  palace-guard,  whose  name  was  SIVA,  and  who  18 
(had  been)  the  first  of  the  gate-watchmen,  had  made  Anula 
his  queen  he  reigned  a  year  and  two  months  in  the  city ;  but  1 9 
Anula,  who  was  enamoured  of  the  Damila  Vatuka,  did  him 
to  death  with  poison  and  gave  the  reign  to  Vatuka.     The  20 
Damila  VATUKA,  who  had  been  a  city-carpenter  in  the  capital, 
made  Anula   his   queen  and  then   reigned  a  year  and  two  21 
months  in  the  city. 

But  when  Anula  (one  day)  saw  a  wood-carrier,  who  had  come 
to  the  house,  she  fell  in  love  with  him,  and  when  she  had  22 
killed  Vatuka  with  poison  she  gave  the  government  into  his 
hands.     TISSA,  the  wood-carrier,  when  he  had  made  Anula 
his  queen,  ruled  one  year  and  one  month  in  the  city.    In  haste  23 
he  had  a  bathing-tank  made  in  the  Mahameghavana.     But  24 
Anula,   enslaved  by  passion  for  a  Damila  named  Niliya,  a 
brahman  who  was  the  palace-priest,  and  eager  to  be  united 
with  him,  did  Tissa  the  wood-carrier  to  death  giving  him  25 
poison  and  gave  the  government  into  (Niliya's)  hands.     And 
the  brahman  NILIYA  also  made  her  his  queen  and  reigned,  26 
upheld  constantly  by  her,  six  months  here  in  Anuradhapura. 
When  the  princess  Anula  (who  desired  to  take  her  pleasure  27 
even  as  she  listed  with  thirty-two  of  the  palace-guards) x  had 

1  The   passage  enclosed  in  brackets  occurs  in  all  the   groups  of 
MSS.,  but  seems,  as  it  interferes  with  the  division  of  the   slokas, 


240  Mahavavnsa  xxxiv.  28 

put  to  death  Niliya  also  with  poison,  the  queen  ANULA  herself, 
reigned  four  months. 

28  But   king-  Mahaculika's  second  son,  named  KUTAKANNA- 

29  TISSA,  who  had  fled  from  fear  of  Anula  and  had  taken  the 
pabbajja  returned  hither  when,  in  time,  he  had  gathered  an 

30  army  together,  and  when  he  had  slain  the  wicked  Anula  he, 
the  ruler  of  men,  reigned  twenty-two  years.     He  built  upon 
the    Cetiya-mountain   a   great   building   for   the    uposatha- 

3 1  festival  and  to  the  east  of  this  building  he  raised  a  thupa  of 
stone,  and  in  that   same  place  on  the  Cetiya-mountain   he 
planted  a  bodhi-tree. 

32  In  the  region  between  the  rivers  he  founded  the  Pelagama- 
vihara  and  in  the  same  place  (he  made)  a  great  canal  called 

33  Vannaka  and  the  great  Ambadugga-tank  and  the  Bhayo- 
luppala,1  and  moreover  (he  made)  around  the  city  a  wall  seven 

34  cubits  high  and  a  trench.     When  he  had  burned  the  licen- 
tious Anula  in  the  palace  (upon  the  funeral  pyre),  he,  with- 
drawing a  little  (distance)  from  thence,  built  a  new  palace. 

35  In  the  city  itself  he  laid   out  the  Padumassara-park.     His 
mother  entered  the  order  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Conqueror 

36  when  she  had  just  cleansed  her  teeth.    On  a  plot  for  building2 
belonging  to  his  family  he  founded  a  nunnery  for  his  mother : 
and  this  was  therefore  known  by  name  Dantageha.3 

37  After  his  death  his  son,  the  prince  named  BHATIKABHAYA, 

38  reigned  twenty-eight  years.     Since  he,  the  pious  ruler  of  the 
earth,  was  the  brother  of  king  Mahadathika  he  was  known 

39  on  the  island  by  the  name  Bhatikaraja.     Here  4  did  he  carry 
out   the  work  of  repairing  the  Lohapasada   and  built  two 


to  be  a  later  addition.    (See  Mah.  ed.,  Introduction,  p.  xxi.)   kattum 
in  kattukama  is  a  pregnant  expression  for  samvasam  kattum. 

1  We  fail  to  establish  the  names  here  because  we  do  not  know 
what  is  meant  by  antaragangaya.     The  expression  hardly  denotes 
the  delta  of  a  river,  but  perhaps  rather  the  region  between  Amban- 
ganga  and  Mahawaeliganga. 

2  Lit.  'place  for  a  house.'    I  read  kulasante.    The  Tika,  too, 
renders  its  kulayatte  by  kulasantake. 

3  Lit.  '  Tooth -house/ 

4  I.e.  in  Anuradhapura. 


xxxiv.  50  The  Eleven  Kings  241 

vedikas  for  the  Mahathupa,  and  the  (hall)  called  the  Uposatha 
(-hall)  in  the  (vihara)  named  after  the  thupa.1 

And  doing-  away  with  the  tax  appointed  for  himself  he  40 
planted  sumana  and  ujjuka-flowers  2  over  a  yojana   of  land 
round  the  city.     And  when   the  king  had  commanded  that  41 
the  Great  Cetiya,  from  the  vedika  at  the  foot  to  the  parasol  at 
the  top,  be  plastered  with  (a  paste  of)  sweet-smelling  unguent  42 
four  fingers  thick  and  that  flowers   be  carefully  embedded 
therein  by  their  stalks,  he  made  the  thupa  even  as  a  globe  of 
flowers.     Another  time  he  commanded  them  to  plaster  the  43 
cetiya  with  (a  paste  of)  minium  eight  fingers  thick,  and  thus 
he  changed   it  into  a  heap   of   flowers.     Yet   another  time  44 
he  commanded  that  the  cetiya  be  strewn  with  flowers  from 
the  steps  3  to  the  parasol  on  the  top,  and  thus  he  covered  it 
over  with  a  mass  of  blossoms.     Then   when  he  had  raised  45 
water  by  means  of  machines  from  the  Abhaya-tank  he,  by 
pouring-  (masses  of)  water  over  the  thupa,  carried  out  a  water- 
offering.      From    a    hundred    waggon-loads    of    pearls,   he,  46 
bidding  that  the  mass  of  plaster  be  carefully  kneaded  together 
with  oil,  made  a  plaster-covering  (for  the  Great  Thupa).     He  47 
had  a  net  of  coral  prepared  and  cast  over  the  cetiya,  and 
when  he  had  commanded  them  to  fasten  in  the  meshes  thereof 
lotus-flowers  of  gold  large  as  waggon-wheels,  and  to  hang  43 
clusters  of  pearls  on  these  that  reached  to  the  lotus-flower 
beneath,  he  worshipped  the  Great  Thupa  with  this  offering. 

When  he  heard  one  day  in  the  relic-chamber  the  sound  of  49 
the  arahants  4  chanting  in  chorus  he  made  the  resolve  :  '  I  will 
not  rise  up  till  I  have  seen  it,'  and  fasting  he  lay  down  at  50 
the  foot  of  the  stone-pillar  on  the  east  side.5     The  theras 
created   a  door   for  him   and   brought   him   into   the   relic- 

1  I.e.  in  the  Thuparama. 

2  Tika:  mahasumanani  ca  ujjakasumanani  ca,  namely  two 
kinds  of  jasmine. 

3  The  steps  form  the  ascent  from  the  'elephant-path*  (cf.  note  to 
33.  31)  to  the  great  terrace,  on  which  the  cetiya  stands. 

4  Tadi  is  a  synonym  of  araha. 

5  The  Tika  paraphrases  pacinaddikamulamhi  with  pacinaad- 
dikassasamipe,  pacinadisayasilatthambhaussapitatthane. 

R 


242  Mahavamsa  xxxiv.  51 

51  chamber.     When  the  ruler  of  the  earth  had  beheld  all  the 
adornment  of  the  relic-chamber  he  went  forth  and  made  an 
offering  of  figures  modelled   with  clay  in  close  likeness  to 
those  (within). 

52  With  honeycombs,  with  perfumes,  with  vases  (filled  with 
flowers),  and  with  essences,  with  auri-pigment  (prepared)  as 

53  unguent  and  minium ;   with  lotus-flowers  arrayed  in  minium 
that  lay  ankle-deep  in  the  courtyard  of  the  cetiya,  where  they 

54  had  poured  it  molten;  with  lotus-flowers  that  were  fastened 
in  the  holes  of  mattings,  spread  on  fragrant  earth,  wherewith 

55, the  whole  courtyard  of  the  cetiya  was  filled;  with  many 
lighted  lamps,  prepared  with  wicks  made  of  strips  of  stuff  in 
clarified  butter,  which  had  likewise  been  poured  (into  the 

56  courtyard)  when  the  ways  for  the  outflow  had  been  closed  up ; 
and  in  like  manner  with  many  lamps   with  stuff- wicks  in 

57  madhuka-oil1  and  sesamum-oil  besides;  with  these  things,  as 
they  were  named,  the  prince  commanded  severally  with  each 
seven  times  offerings  for  the  Great  Thupa. 

58  And  moreover,  urged  by  faith,  he  ordered  year  by  year 
perpetually  a  great  festival  (for  the  renewing)  of  the  plaster- 
work  ;  and  festivals  also  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree  (in  honour) 

50  of  the  watering  of  the  Bodhi-tree,  and  furthermore  twenty- 
eight  great  Vesakha-festivals 2  and  eighty-four  thousand  lesser 

60  festivals,  and  also  divers  mimic  dances  and  concerts,  with  the 
playing  of  all  kinds  of  instruments  of  music  (in  honour)  of 

61  the  Great  Thupa.    Three  times  a  day  he  went  to  do  homage  to 
the  Buddha  and  he  commanded  (them  to  give)  twice  (a  day) 
continually  (the  offering  known  as)  the  '  flower-drum  '.3 

62  And  he  continually  gave  alms  at  the  preaching  4  and  alms  at 
the  pavarana-ceremony,  and  (distributed)  also,  in  abundance, 
the   things    needed   for  the   ascetic,    such   as    oil,   molasses, 

1  Oil  pressed  from  the  seeds  of  the  Bassia  Latifolia.    The  MSS.  all 
have  raadhuka,  and  this  should  be  the  reading.     In  Skt.  also  the 
form  madhuka  exists  beside  madhuka. 

2  See  note  to  32.  35. 

8  Tika :  divasassa  dvisu  varesu  niyatam  pupphapujam  ca 
akarayi. 

4  Very  doubtful.  The  MSS.  support  the  reading  chandadanam. 
Perhaps  ch  an  da  is  here  a  synonym  of  sajjhaya. 


xxxiv.  73  Hie  Eleven  Kings  243 

garments  and  so  forth  among  the  brotherhood.     Moreover,  G3 
the  prince  bestowed  everywhere  land  for  the  cetiyas,  to  the  end 
that  the  cetiyas  might  be  kept  in  repair.     And  constantly  the  04 
king  bestowed  food  (as  alms  allotted)  by  tickets l  to  a  thousand 
bhikkhus  in  the  vihara  (of  the)  Cetiya-pabbata.     At  five  spots,  65 
namely,  the  three  receiving-places,2  called  Citta,  Mani,  and 
Mucala,  as  also  in  the  Paduma-house  and  the  beautiful  Chatta- 
pfisada,  offering  hospitality  to  the  bhikkhus  who  were  harnessed  66 
to  the  yoke  of  the  sacred  word  he  provided  them  always  with 
all    that  was  needful,   being  filled   with   reverence   for  the 
religion.     Moreover,  all  those  works  of  merit  which  had  been  67 
ordered  by  the  kings  of  old  regarding  the  doctrine,  all  these 
did  king  Bhatika  carry  out. 

After  the  death  of  Bhatikaraja  his  younger  brother  named  68 
MAHADATHIKAMAHANAGA   reigned   twelve    years,   intent    on  69 
works  of  merit  of  many  kinds.     He  had  kincikkha-stones3  laid 
as  plaster  on  (the  square  of)  the  Great  Thupa  and  he  turned  70 
the  sand-pathway  round  (the  thupa)  4  into  a  wide  court ;   in 
all  the  viharas  he  had  (raised)  chairs  put  up  for  the  preachers. 
The    king    built  the    great   Ambatthala-thupa;  5    since   the  71 
building  was  not  firm  he  lay  down  in  that  place,  bethinking 
him  of  the  merit  of  the  Sage  (Buddha),  risking  his  own  life.6  72 
When  he  had  thus  made  the  building  firm  and  had  completed 
the  cetiya  he  set  up  at  the  four  entrances  four  bejewelled  73 
arches  that  had  been  well  planned  by  artists  and  shone  with 

1  Salakavattabhatta,  see  note  to  15.  205. 

2  Upatthana  is  'attendance,  service'.     Thus  the  allusion  is  to 
a  place  where  people  waited  on  the  monks  to  offer  gifts.    The  Tika 
calls  the  three  places  which  are  said  to  have  been  in  the  interior  of 
the   royal  palace,  Cittupatthanapasada,    Maniupatthanapasada,   and 
Mucalupatthanapasada. 

3  Cf.  Skt.  k  in  j  a  Ik  a  '  stamens  of  the  lotus-blossom  '.    CHILDERS, 
P.D.,  s.  v.  'Kinjakkhapasano  appears  to  be  some  sort  of  marble  or 
other  ornamental  stone  '.  ; 

4  On  the  valikamariyada  see  note  to  33.  31. 

5  On  the  Cetiya-pabbata  (Mihintale).     See  PARKER,  Ancient  Ceylon, 
pp.  320-322.     Cf.  13.  20. 

6  He   ran  a  risk   of  being  killed  by    falling  stones  during  his 
meditation.  ,  .   .. 

R  2 


244  Mahavamsa  xxxiv.  74 

74  gems  of  every  kind.     To  be  fastened  to  the  cetiya  he  spent 
a  cover  (for  it)  of  red  stuff  and  golden  balls  thereto  and 
festoons  of  pearls.1 

75  When  he  had  made  ready  around  the  Cetiya-mountain  a 
(tract  of  land  measuring  a)  yojana,  and  had  made  four  gateways 

76  and  a  beautiful  road  round  about  (the  mountain),  and  when 
he  had  then  set  up  (traders')  shops  on  both  sides  of  the  road 
and  had  adorned  (the  road)  here  and  there  with  flags,  arches, 

77  and  triumphal  gates,  and  had  illuminated  all  with  chains  of 

78  lamps,  he  commanded  mimic  dances,  songs,  and  music.     That 
the  people  might  go  with  clean  feet  on  the  road  from  the 
Kadamba-river  to  the  Cetiya-rnountain  he  had  it  laid  with 

79  carpets — the  gods  themselves  might  hold  a  festival  assembly  * 
there  with  dance  and  music — and  he  gave  great  largess  at  the 

80  four  gates  of  the  capital.     Over  the  whole  island  he  put  up 
chains  of  lamps  without  a  break,  nay  over  the  waters  of  the 

81  ocean  within  a  distance  of  a  yojana  around.     At  the  festival 
of  (consecrating  of)  the  cetiya  these  beautiful  offerings  were 
appointed  by  him :   the  splendid  feast  is  called  here  (in  the 
country)  the  great  Giribhanda-offering. 

82  When  the  lord  of  the  earth  had  commanded  almsgiving  in 
eight  places  to  the  bhikkhus  who  were  come  together  in  the 

83  festal  assembly,  he,  with  the  beating  of  eight  golden  drums 
that  were  set  up  even  there,  allotted  lavish  gifts  to  twenty-four 

84  thousand  (bhikkhus).     He  distributed  the  six  garments,  com- 
manded the  remission  of  the  prison-penalties  and  he  ordered 
the  barbers  to  carry  on  their  trade  continually  at  the  four 

85  gates.     Moreover,  all  those  works  of   merit  that  had  been 
decreed  by  the  kings  of  old  and  that  had  also  been  decreed  by 
his  brother,  those  did  he  carry  out  without  neglecting  any- 

86  thing.     He  gave  himself  and  the  queen,  his  two  sons,2  his 
state-elephant  and  his  state  horse  to  the  brotherhood  as  their 
own,  albeit  the  brotherhood  forbade  him. 

87  To  the  brotherhood  of  the  bhikkhus  he  gave  gifts  worth 
six  hundred   thousand,  but  to  the   company  of  bhikkhunls 

88  (such  gifts)  worth  a  hundred  thousand,  and  in  giving  them, 

1  On  samajja  see  HARDY  in  Album  Kern,  p.  61  foil. 
8  Amandagamani  Abhaya  and  Tissa. 


xxxiv.  94  TJie  Eleven  Kings  245 

with   knowledge  of   the   custom,  various   possessions   suited 
(to  their  needs)  he  redeemed  (again)  himself  and  the  rest  from 
the  brotherhood.     In  Killayanakannika  the  ruler  of  men  built  89 
the  (vihara)  called  Maninagapabbata  and  the  vihara  which  was 
called  Kalanda,  furthermore  on  the  bank  of  the  Kubukanda-  90 
river    the    Samudda-vihara    and     in    Huvucakannika l    the 
vihara  that  bore  the  name  Culanagapabbata.     Delighted  with  91 
the  service  rendered  him  in  the  vihara  that  he  himself  had 
built,  called  Pasanadipaka,  by  a  samanera  who  had  given  him 
a  draught  of  water,  the  king  bestowed  on  that  vihara  (a  tract  92 
of  land)  in  measure  half  a  yojana  round  about,  for  the  use  of 
the  brotherhood.     And  rejoicing  likewise  at  (the  behaviour  of)  93 
a  samanera  in  the  Mandavapi-vihara  the  prince  gave  land  for 
the  use  of  the  brotherhood  to  this  vihara. 

Thus   men  of   good   understanding,   who   have  conquered  94 
pride   and   indolence,  and   have   freed  themselves   from  the 
attachment  to  lust,  when  they  have  attained  to  great  power, 
without  working  harm  to  the  people,  delighting  in  deeds  of 
merit,  rejoicing  in  faith,  do  many  and  various  pious  works. 

Here  ends  the  thirty-fourth  chapter,  called  'The  Eleven 
Kings ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and 
emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  According  to  the  Tika  a  district  in  Rohana. 


CHAPTEE  XXXV 

THE   TWELVE   KINGS 

1  AFTER  Mahadathika's  death  AMANDAGAMANI  ABHAYA,  his 
son,  reigned  nine  years  and  eight  months.     On  the  splendid 

2  Great  Thupa  he  caused  to  be  made  a  parasol  above  the  parasol,1 
and  he  built  even  there  a  vedi  at  the  base  and  at  the  top. 

3  And  in  like  manner  he  made  an  inner  courtyard  and  an  inner 
verandah  2  to  the  Lohapasada  and  to  the  (building)  called  the 

4  Uposatha  (house)  of  the  Thuparama.     Moreover,  for  both  he 
built  a  beautiful  pavilion  adorned  with  precious  stones;  and 

5  the  ruler  of  men  also  built  the  Rajatalena-vihara.3     When  he 
had  made  the  Mahagamendi-tank  on  the  south  side  (of  Anura- 
dhapura),  he,  who  was  clever  in  works  of  merit,  bestowed  it 

6  on  the  Dakkhina-vihara.4     On  the  whole  island  the  ruler  of 
men  commanded  not  to  kill.     All  kinds  of  vine-fruits  did  he 

7  plant  in  divers  places,  and  the  king  Amandiya,  filling  the 
almsbowls  with  the  fruit  called  '  flesh-melons  ',5  and  bestowing 

8  garments  as  a  support  (for  the  bowls)  he  gave  o£  these,  with 
believing  heart,  to  the  whole  brotherhood  ;  because  he  had 

1  I.  e.  he  heightened  the  cone  crowning  the  thupa  at  the  top. 

2  For  ajira  cf.  Abhidhanappadipika  218  (ajira=Skt.  ajira  'court- 
yard').    Alinda  is  the  terrace  before  the  house-door,  as  is  evident 
from  D.  I.  89SO,  34.     See  also  the  passages  M.V.  VI.  36.  4,  and  C.V.  VI. 
3.  5  and  14. 1.    (Fin.  Pit.,  ed.  OLDENBERG,  i.  2482,  ii.  1533,  16925.) 

3  Now  Ridi-vibara,  see  note  to  28.  20. 

4  Cf.  note  to  33.  88.    The  Mahagamendi-vapi  will  probably  be  the 
smaller  tank  which  is  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  ruins 
of  the  monastery.     Note  the  play  on  the  words  punnadakkhino 
and  dakkhinassa  viharassa. 

5  Kumbhandaka  is,  according  to  Abhidh.  1030,  a  creeping-plant 
which  (according  to  SUBHUTI)  is  now  called  in  Sinh.  puhul  'pump- 
kin gourd  '.     Evidently  mamsak0  is  a  particular  variety.     Since  our 
text  connects  the  king's  name  with  it,  a  man  da,  which  elsewhere  means 
the  ricinus  plant,  seems  to  be  a  synonym  of  the  above-mentioned. 


xxxv.  21  The  Twelve  Kings  247 

filled   the   almsbowls    (with    them)    he    received   the   name 
Amandagamani. 

His  younger  brother,  the  prince  KANIRAJANUTISSA,  reigned  9 
three  years  in  the  city,  when  he  had  slain  his  brother.     He  10 
decided   the   lawsuit  concerning  the  uposatha-house    in   the 
(vihara)  named  after  the  cetiya,1  but  sixty  bhikkhns  who  were 
involved  in  the  crime  of  high  treason  did  the  king  order  to  be  1 1 
taken   captive,   with  all  that  was  theirs,2  upon   the   Cetiya- 
pabbata,  and  he  commanded  these  evildoers  to  be  flung  into 
the  caves  called  Kanira. 

After  Kanirajanu's  death  Amanrjagamani's  son,  the  prince  12 
CULABHAYA,  reigned  a  year.    The  king  built  the  Culagallaka-  13 
vihara  on  the  bank  of  the  Gonaka-river  3  to  the  south  of  the 
capital. 

After  the  death  of  Culabhaya  his  younger  sister  SIVAL!,  14 
the  daughter  of  Amanda,  reigned  four  months.    But  Amanda's  1 5 
nephew   named   ILANAGA    dethroned   Sivali   and    raised   the 
parasol  (of  sovereignty)  in  the  capital.     When,  one  day,  in  the  16 
first  year  (of  his  reign),  the  king  went  to  the  Tissa-tank,  many 
of  the  Lambalvannas  4  deserted  him  and  went  back  to  the  capital. 
When  the  king  saw  them  not  he  was  wroth  and  (in  punishment)  1 7 
he  ordered  that  they,  even   they  themselves,    should   make 
a  road  to  the    Mahathupa,  commanding  to  stamp  it   down 
firmly,   where  it  ran   beside  the   tank,  and  he  set  candalas  18 
to  be  their  overseers.     And  full  of  anger  because  of  this  the 
Lambakannas  came  together,  and  when  they  had  taken  the  19 
king  captive  and  imprisoned  him  in  his  palace  they  themselves 
administered    the  government;    but   the   king's  consort  put 
festal  garments  on  her  little  son  the  prince  Cancjamukhasiva,  20 
gave  him  into  the  hands  of  the  serving-women  and  sent  him 
to  the  state-elephant,  charging  (the  attendants)  with  a  message.  21 

1  Judging  from  the  expression  used  (cf.  34.  39)  the  Thuparama 
must  be  meant.     Cetiya  =  thupa. 

2  See  note  to  23.  11. 

3  This  is,  no  doubt,  the  correct  reading.     The  Gona-nadi  is  the 
river  now  called  Kalu-oya.     By  banking  it  up  king  Dhatusena  con- 
structed the  Kala-vapi  (Kaluwaewa),  Culavamsa  38.  42. 

4  An  important  clan  in  Lanka. 


248  Mahavamsa  XXXV.  22 

The  serving-women  conveyed  him  thither  and  gave  the  state- 

22  elephant  the  queen's  whole  message  :  ' This  is  thy  lord's  son; 
thy  lord  is  in  prison ;  better  is  it  for  this  (boy)  to  meet  his 

23  death  by  thee  than  by  the  enemies;  then  slay  thou  him  :  that 
is  the  queen's  command/     With  these  words  they  laid  him 

24  down   at  the    elephant's   feet.     And  for  grief  the  elephant 
began  to  shed  tears,  and  breaking  to  pieces  the  posts  (to 
which  he  was  chained)  he  pressed  forward  into  the  palace  and 

25  dashed  against  the  gate  with  fury,  and  when  he  had  broken 
down  the  door 1  in  the  room  where  the  king  sat,  he  made  him 

26  mount  upon  his  back  and  went  towards  Mahatittha.    There  the 
elephant  made  the  king  embark  on  a  ship  (that  brought  him) 
to  the  western  shore  of  the  sea;  he  himself  went  toward  Malaya. 

2  7       When  the  king  had  stayed  three  years  on  the  other  coast  he 

28  raised  an  army  and  went  by  ship  to  Rohana.     Having  landed 
at  the  haven   Sakkharasobbha  the  king  assembled  there  in 

29  Rohana  a  mighty  force.    Then  came  the  king's  state-elephant 
forthwith  out  of  the  southern  Malaya  to  Rohana  to  do  him 

30  service.     As  he  had  heard  there  the  Kapi-jataka2  from  the 
great  thera,  the  preacher  of  jatakas,  named  Mahapaduma,  who 

31  dwelt  in  the  (vihara)  called  Tuladhara,  he,  being  won  to  faith 
in  the  Bodhisatta,  restored  the  Nagamahavihara  and  gave  it 

32  the  extension  of  a  hundred  unbent  bows  in  length,3  and  he 
enlarged  the  thupa  even  to  what  it  has  been  (since  then) ; 
moreover,  he  made  the  Tissa-tank  4  and  the  tank  called  Dura.5 

33  When  the  king  had  raised  an  army  he  marched  to  battle; 
when  the  Lambakannas  heard  this  they  also  prepared  them- 

34  selves  for  battle.     Near  the  gate  of  Kapallakkhanda  on  the 

1  While  dvara  means  the  principal  gate  of  a  building,  kava- 
tani  are  the  doors  of  the  separate  rooms  in  the  interior.  See  S.B.E. 
xx.  p.  160,  n.  3. 

a  Two  jatakas  bear  this  title,  in  FAUSBOLL'S  edition,  ii,  pp.  268-270 
and  iii,  pp.  355-358. 

3  Dhanuisa  measure  of  length  equal  to  about  8  feet.    PARKER, 
Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  274. 

4  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Mahagama,  PARKER,  I.  L,  p.  388  foil. 

8  Probably  the  Duratissa-vapi,  to  which  Saddhatissa,  according  to 
Mah.  33.  8,  built  a  monastery.  Karesi  here  means,  I  presume,  'to 
restore '  not  *  to  build '. 


xxxv.  48  The  Twelve  Kings  249 

field  of  Harikarapitthi  was  waged  the  battle  between  the  two 
(armies)  that  brought  destruction  to  both. 

Since  their  bodies  were  exhausted  by  the  sea- journey,  the  35 
king's   men  yielded   their  ground,   therefore  the   king   pro- 
claimed  his  name  and   pressed   forward.      Terrified  thereat  36 
the  Lambakannas  threw  themselves  down  upon  their  belly, 
and  they  hewed  off  their  heads  and  heaped  them  up  high  as 
the  nave  of  the  (king's)  waggon- wheel,  and  when  this  had  37 
come  to  pass  three  times  the  king,  from  pity,  said :  '  Slay  them 
not,  but  take  them  captive  living/ 

When  then  the  king  had  come  into  the  capital  as  victor  in  38 
battle  and  had  raised  the  parasol  (of  sovereignty)  he  went  to 
a  festival  at  the  Tissa-tank.1     And  when  he,  fully  arrayed  in  39 
his  ornaments  and  armour,  had  withdrawn  from  the  water- 
sports  and  reflected  on  the  good-fortune  that  he  had  attained, 
and  thought  of  the  Lambakannas  who  had  opposed  his  progress,  40 
he  was  wroth  and  commanded  that  they  be  yoked  two  and 
two  behind  one  another  to  his  car,  and  thus  did  he   enter 
the  city  in  front  of  them.      Halting  on  the  threshold  of  the  41 
palace  the  king  gave  the  command  :  '  Here  on  this  threshold, 
soldiers,  strike  off  their  heads/    £  These  are  but  oxen  yoked  to  42 
thy  chariot,  O  lord  of   chariots ;    therefore   let   their  horns 
and  hoofs  be  struck  off/  thus  admonished  by  his  mother  the  43 
king  recalled  (the  order)  to  behead  them  and  commanded  that 
their  nose  and  toes  be  cut  off.    The  district  where  the  elephant  44 
had  stayed  the  prince  allotted  to  the  elephant ;  and  therefore 
the  tract  is  called  Hatthibhoga.2 

So  Ilanaga,  ruler  of  the  earth,  reigned  full  six  years  as  king  45 
in  Anuradhapura. 

After   the   death  of   Ilanaga  his  son  CANDAMUKHA  SIVA  46 
reigned  eight  years  and  seven  months  as  king. 

When  the  lord  of  the  earth  had  constructed  a  tank  near  47 
Manikaragamaka  he   gave  it   to   the    vihara   called    Issara- 
samana.     This  king's  consort  who  was  known  by  the  name  48 
DamiladevT,  allotted  her  own  revenues  from  that  village  to  the 
same  vihara. 

1  Cf.  with  this  26.  6-7. 

2  I.e.  'the  elephant's  usufruct,  the  elephant's  fief.' 


250  Maliavamsa,  xxxv.  49 

49  Having  slain   Candamukha  Siva  in  the  festival-sports  at 
the    Tissa-tank    his   younger   brother,  known    by  the   name 

50  YASALALAKATISSA,  reigned  as  king  in  delightful  Anuradhapura, 
the  fair  face  of  Lanka,  seven  years  and  eight  months. 

51  Now  a  son  of  Datta  the  gate-watchman,  named   Subha, 
who  was  himself  a  gate-watchman,  bore  a  close  likeness  to 

52  the  king.     And  this  palace-guard  Subha  did  the  king  Yasala- 
laka,  in  jest,  bedeck  with  the  royal  ornaments  and  place  upon 

53  the  throne  and  binding  the  guard's  turban  about  his  own  head, 
and  taking  himself  his   place,  staff    in  hand,    at  the  gate, 

54  he  made  merry  over  the  ministers  as  they  paid  homage  to 
(Subha)  sitting  on  the  throne.     Thus  was  he  wont  to  do, 
from  time  to  time. 

55  Now  one  day  the  guard  cried  out  to  the  king,  who  was 
laughing :    '  Why  does  this  guard  laugh  in   my  presence  ? ' 

56  And  SUBHA  the  guard  ordered  to  slay  the  king,  and  he  him- 
self reigned  here  six  years  under  the  name  Subharaja. 

57  In  both  the  great  viharas1  Subharaja  built  a  noble  row  of 

58  cells  called  Subharaja  after  him.     Near  Uruvela   (he  built) 
the  Valli- vihara,  to  the  east  the  (vihara)  Ekadvara  and  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Gahga  2  the  (vihara)  Nandigamaka. 

59  One  sprung  of  the   Lambakanna  (clan),  named  Vasabha, 
whose  home  was  in  the  northern  province,  served  under  his 

60  uncle,  a  commander  of  troops.     Since  it  was  declared  :  3  *  One 
named  Vasabha  shall  be  king/  the  king  at  that  time  com- 
manded that  all  in  the  island  who  bore  the  name  of  Vasabha 

61  should   be   slain.      The    commander,    thinking:    'We    must 
deliver   up   our   Vasabha    to  the   king/   and   having   taken 
counsel  with  his  wife  (upon  the  matter)  set  out  early  in  the 

62  morning  to  go  to  the  king's  residence.     And  the  wife,  to 
guard  Vasabha  carefully  who  went  with  him,  put  betel  into 
his  hand  but  without  powdered  chalk.4 

1  According  to  the  Tika  Abhayagiri  and  Mahavihara. 

2  Gangante,  by  Ganga  we  should  probably  understand  the  Maha- 
wseliganga.     The  Tika  has  KacchakanadUire.     Kacchaka  is  the  name 
of  a  ford  in  the  Mahawaeliganga  (see  note  to  10.  58). 

s  According  to  the  Tika  Yasalalaka  was  said  to  have  uttered  a  similar 
prophecy  publicly. 

4  Betel  is  chewed  with  powdered  chalk  (cunna,  Sinh.  hunu). 


xxxv.  75  The  Twelve  Kings  251 

Now  when  the  commander,  at  the  gate  of  the  palace,  saw  63 
the  betel  without  chalk,  he  sent  him  back  for  chalk.     When  64 
Vasabha  came  for  the  chalk  the  commander's  wife  spoke  with 
him  secretly,  gave  him  a  thousand  (pieces  of  money)  and  aided 
him  to  take  flight.     Vasabha  went  to  the  Mahavihara  and  by  65 
the  theras  there  was  provided  with  milk,  food  and  clothes,  and  6G 
when  he  had  again  heard  from  a  leper  the  certain  prophecy 
that  he  would  be  king,  rejoicing  he  resolved  :   '  I  will  be  a 
rebel/     And  when  he  had  found  men  suited  (to  his  purpose)  67 
he  went,  seizing  in   his   further  course  village  by   village, 
according  to  the  instruction    (in  the  story)  of  the  cake,1  to 
Rohana,  and  gradually  winning  the  kingdom  to  himself  he  68 
advanced,  after  two  years,  with  the  needful  army  and  train, 
towards  the  capital.     When  the  mighty  VASABHA  had  con-  69 
quered  Subharaja  in  battle  he  raised  the  parasol  (of  sovereignty) 
in  the   capital.     His  uncle  had   fallen   in  battle.     But  his  70 
uncle's  wife,  named  Pottha,  who  had  first  helped  him,   did 
king  Vasabha  raise  to  be  queen. 

Once  he  questioned  a  soothsayer  concerning  the  length  of  71 
his  life,  and  he  told  him  secretly  (that  he  should  live)  just 
twelve   years.      And  when  he   had   given   him   a  thousand  72 
(pieces  of  money)  to  keep  the  secret  the  king  assembled  the 
brotherhood  and  greeted  them  reverently  and  asked  them : 
e  Is  there  perchance,  venerable  sirs,  a  means  to  lengthen  life  ? '  73 
( There  is/  so  did  the  brotherhood  teach  him,  '  a  way  to  do 
away  with  the  hindrances  (to  long  life) ;  gifts  of  strainers  2  74 
must  be  given  and  gifts  of  dwellings  and  gifts  for  main- 
tenance of  the  sick,  O  ruler  of  men,  and  in  like  manner  the  75 
restoring  of  ruined  buildings  must  be  carried  out ;  one  should 
take  the  five  precepts  on  himself  and  keep  them  carefully, 


1  The  story  of  Candagutta  and  the  kapallapuva  is  to  be  found  in 
Mah.  Tika,  p.  1234  foil. :  cf.  GEIGER,  Dip.  andMah.,  pp.  39-40  ;  RHYS 
DAVIDS,  Buddhist  India,  p.  269  ;    JACOBI,  Hemacandras  Parisista- 
parvan,  viii.  290-  296  ;  preface,  p.  58. 

2  The  parissavana  is  among  the  requisites  of  the  bhikkhu  :  its 
use  is  for  straining  water  so  that  he  who  is  drinking  shall  not  swallow 
some  living  creature  who  may  perhaps  be  in  it. 


252  Mahavamsa  xxxv.  76 

76  and  one  should  also  keep  the  solemn  fast  on  the  uposatha- 
day/     The  king  said  :    '  It  is  well/  and  went  thence  and 
carried  out  all  these  (duties). 

77  Every  three  years  that  went   by  the   king  bestowed  the 

78  three  garments  on  the  whole  brotherhood  in  the  island;  and 
to  those  theras  that  lived  far  away  he  sent  them.     In  thirty- 
two  places  he  ordered  milk-rice  with  honey  to  be  distributed, 

79  but  in  sixty-four  places  a  lavish  gift  of  mixed  alms. 

He  had  a  thousand  lamps  lighted  in  four  places ;   that  is, 

80  on  the  Cetiya-pabbata,  about  the  cetiya  in  the  Thuparama, 
about  the  Great   Thupa   and   in    the   temple   of   the   great 
Bodhi-tree. 

81  In  the  Cittalakuta  (vihara) l  he  built  ten  beautiful  thupas 

82  and  over  the  whole  island  he  restored  ruined  buildings.   From 
pious  trust  in  a  thera  in  the  Valliyera-vihara  he  built  the  vihara 

83  called  Mahavalligotta.     And  (moreover)  he  built  the  Anura- 
rama  (vihara)  near  Mahagama  and  bestowed  on  it  a  thousand 

84  and  eight  karisa2  (of  land)  of  (the  village)  Heligama.     "When 
he  had  built  the  Mucela- vihara  3  in  T issavaddhamanaka  4  he 
allotted  to  the  vihara  a  share  in  the  water  of  the  (canal)  Alisara. 

85  To  the  thupa  in  Galambatittha  he  added  a  mantling  of  bricks, 
and  he  built  an  uposatha-house  too,  and  to  provide  oil  for 

86  the  lamps  he  constructed  a  pond  (yielding  water  to)  a  thousand 
karisa  (of  land)  5  and  gave  it  to  the  (vihara).    In  the  Kumbhi- 

87  gallaka-vihara  he  built  an  uposatha-house.     In  like  manner 
the   king   built   an   uposatha-house   in   the    Issarasamanaka 

88  (vihara) 6  here   and  in  the  Thuparama  a  thupa-temple.     In 
the  Mahavihara  he  built  a  row  of  cells  facing  the  west,  and 

89  he  restored  the  ruined  Catussala  (hall).     In  like  manner  the 
same  king  made  four  beautiful  Buddha-images  and  a  temple 
for  the  images  in  the  fair  courtyard  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree. 

90  The  king's  consort,    named   Pottha,    built   in   that   same 

1  The  same  as  Cittalapabbata,  see  note  to  22.  23. 

2  Tika:  atthuttaram  karisasahassakam. 

3  According  to  the  Tika  situated  puratthimadisabhage. 

4  Cf.  37.  48. 

6  In  TURNOUR'S  view  sahassakarisa  is  the  name  of  the  pond. 
6  Cf.  note  to  19.  61. 


xxxv.  102  The  Twelve  Kings  253 

place  a  splendid  thupa  and  a  beautiful  temple  for  the  thupa. 
When   the    king-   had    completed   the   thupa-temple   in   the  91 
Thuparama  he  commanded  lavish  almsgiving  for  the  festival 
of  its  completion.     Among  those  bhikkhus  who  were  busied  92 
with  (the  learning  of)  the  word  of  the  Buddha  he  distributed 
the  things  needed  (by  bhikkhus),  and  among  the  bhikkhus 
who  explained  the  doctrine  butter  and  sugar-molasses.     At  93 
the  four  gates  of  the  city  he  had  food  given  away  to  the  poor 
and,  to  such  bhikkhus  who  were  sick,  food  suited  to  the  sick. 
The   CayantI1   and  the   Rajuppala-tank,   the  Vaha  and  the  94 
Kolambagamaka,  the  Mahanikkhavatti-tank  and  the  Mahara- 
metti,  the   Kohala2  and   the  Kali-tank/  the    Cambuti,   the  95 
Cathamahgana  and  the   Aggivaddhamanaka : 4  these  twelve 
tanks  and  twelve  canals  he  constructed,  to  make  (the  land)  96 
fruitful.     For  safety  he  built  up  the  city  wall  even  so  high 
(as  it  now  is)5  and  he  built  fortress-towers  at  the  four  gates  97 
and  a  palace  besides ;  in  the  garden  he  made  a  tank  and  put 
geese  therein.6 

When  the  king  had  constructed  many  bathing-tanks  here  98 
and  there  in  the  capital  he  brought  water  to  them  by  subter- 
ranean canals.     And  in  this  way  carrying  out  various  works  99 
of  merit  king  Vasabha   did  away  with  the  hindrances  (to 
long  life),  and  delighting  perpetually  in  well  doing  he  reigned  loo 
forty-four   years   in  the  capital.     He  appointed  also  forty- 
four  Vesakha-festivals.7 

Subharfija  while  he  yet  lived  had  anxiously,  for  fear  of  101 
Vasabha,  entrusted  his  daughter  to  a  brick-worker  and  had  102 


1  The  names  are  extraordinarily  erratic  in  the  MSS.    This  adds 
greatly  to  the  difficulty  of  identifying  the  separate  tanks. 

2  The  Tika  has  Kehala  and  places  the  tank  near  Titthapattana. 

3  The  Tika  reads  Kelivasam  ca  instead  of  Kalivapim  ca. 

4  See  WICKREMASINGHE,  Epigraphia  Zeylanica,  i,  p.  211. 

5  The  Tika  gives  the  height  of  18  cubits  (attharasahatthappa- 
manam)  =  about  25-27  feet. 

6  I  do  not  believe  that  we  need  have  recourse  to  the  translation 
'swan'  or  'flamingo'.     The  goose  is  a  sacred  bird  to  the  Buddhists 
and  appears  frequently  on  the  monuments  of  Ceylon. 

7  See  1.  12  and  32.  35  with  note. 


254  Mahavamsa  XXXV.  103 

at  the  same  time  given  into  his  care  his  mantle  and  the  royal 
insignia.     When  he  was  killed  by  Vasabha  the  brick-worker 

103  took  her  with  him,  put  her  in  the  place  of  a  daughter,  and 
brought  her  up  in  his  own  house.     When  he  was  at  work  the 
girl  used  to  bring  him  his  food. 

104  When  (one  day)  in  a  thicket  of  flowering  kadambas,  she 
saw  an  (ascetic)  who  was  in  the  seventh  day  of  the  state  of 

105  nirodha,1  she  the  wise  (maiden)  gave  him  the  food.     When 
she  had  then  prepared  food  afresh  she  carried  the  food  to  her 
father,  and  when  she  was  asked  the  cause  of  the  delay  she 

106  told  her  father  this  matter.     And  full  of  joy  he  bade  (her) 
offer  food  repeatedly  to  the   thera.     When   the   thera  had 
come  out  (of  his  trance)  he  said  to  the  maiden,  looking  into 

107  the  future:  'When   royal  rank  has  fallen  to  thy  lot  then 
bethink  thee,  O  maiden,  of  this  place/     And  forthwith  the 
thera  died. 

108  Now  did  king  Vasabha  when  his  son  Vahkanasikatissa  had 

109  come  to  (full)  age  seek  a  fitting  wife  for  him.     When  those 
people  who  understood  the  (auspicious)  signs  in  women  saw 

110  the  maiden  in  the  brick- worker's  village  they  told  the  king  • 
the  king  thereon  was  about  to  send  for  her.     And  now  the 

111  brick- worker  told  him  that  she  was  a  king's  daughter,  but 
that  she  was  the  daughter  of  Subharaja  he  showed  by  the 
mantle  and  so  forth.    Rejoiced  the  king  gave  her  (in  marriage) 
to  his  son  when  all  had  been  duly  provided.2 

112  After  Vasabha's  death  his  son  VANKANASIKATISSAKA  reigned 

113  three  years  in  Anuradhapura.     On  the  bank  of  the   Gona- 
river  the   king  Vahkanasikatissaka   built   the  vihara   called 

114  Mahamangala.     But  his  consort  Mahamatta  collected  money 
to  build  a  vihara,  bethinking  her  of  the  thera's  words. 

1 1 5  After  Vahkanasikatissa's  death  his  son  GAJABAHUKAGAMANI 

1  Nirodha  or  samnavedayitanirodha  is  a  state   of  trance, 
cessation  of  consciousness.     KERN,  Manual,  pp.  55,  57.     If  the  state 
lasts  over  seven  days  it  ends  in  death. 

2  Skt.  krtamangala  (f.  a)  means  a  person  over  whom  prayers 
have  been  pronounced  or  who  is  arrayed  with  the  auspicious  things 
for  some  undertaking.     B.R.,   Skt.    Wtb.,  s.  v.  mangala.     The  pali 
k  ataman  gala  must  be  taken  in  the  same  sense. 


xxxv.  127  The  Twelve  Kings  255 

reigned  twenty-two  years.     Hearkening  to  his  mother's  word  116 
the  king  founded  the  Matuvihara  on  the  place  of  the  thicket 
of  flowering  kadambas,  in  honour  of  his  mother.     His  wise  117 
mother  gave  to  the  great  vihara  a  hundred  thousand  (pieces 
of  money)  for  the  plot  of  land  and  built  the  vihara ; l    he  1 1 8 
himself  built  a  thupa  of  stone  there  and  gave  (land)  for  the 
use  of  the  brotherhood,  when  he  had  bought  it  from  various 
owners. 

He  erected  the  great  Abhayuttara-thupa,  making  it  greater,  119 
and  to  the  four  gates  thereof  he  made  vestibules.     When  the  120 
king  had  made  the  Gamanitissa-tank  he  bestowed  it  on  the 
Abhayagiri- vihara  for  maintenance  in  food.    He  made  a  mant-  121 
ling  to   the  Maricavatti-thupa  and  gave  (land)  thereto  for 
the  use  of  the  brotherhood,  having  bought  it  for  a  hundred 
thousand  (pieces  of  money).     In  the  last  year  he  founded  the  122 
vihara  called  Ramuka  and  built  in  the  city  the  Mahejasana- 
sala  (hall). 

After  Gajabahu's  death  the  king's  father-in-law  MAHAL-  123 
LAKA  NAGA   reigned  six   years.     (The  viharas)    Sejalaka  in  124 
the  east,  Gotapabbata  in  the  south,  Dakapasana  in  the  west, 
in   Nagadlpa    Salipabbata,    in    Bfjagama    Tanaveli,    in    the  125 
country  of  Rohana  Tobbalanagapabbata,  in  the  inland  country 
Girihalika:    these  seven  viharas  did  the  king  Mahallanaga,  126 
ruler  of  the  earth,  build  in  the  time  (of  his  reign),  short 
though  it  was. 

In  this  way  do  the  wise,  doing  many  works  of  merit,  gain  127 
with  worthless    riches   that  which  is  precious,  but  fools  in 
their  blindness,  for  the  sake  of  pleasures,  do  much  evil. 

Here  ends  the  thirty-fifth  chapter,  called  '  The  Twelve 
Kings',  in  the  Mahavamsa.  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and 
emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  The  meaning  plainly  is  that  the  mother  and  son  jointly  founded 
the  vihara.  In  116  it  is  said,  in  a  general  way,  that  the  king  together 
with  his  mother,  founded  the  Matuvihara.  How  the  undertaking 
was  shared  is  explained  in  117  and  118.  The  mother  buys  the  plot 
of  land  and  constructs  the  monastery  buildings  ;  the  son  builds  the 
thupa  and  presents  the  necessary  lands  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
inmates  of  the  monastery. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVI 

THE   THIRTEEN   KINGS 

1  AFTER  the  death  of  Mahallanaga  his  son  BHATIKATISSAKA 

2  reigned  twenty-four  years  in  Lanka.     He  built  a  wall  around 
the  Mahavihara.     When  the  king-  had  built  the  Gavaratissa- 

3  vihara  he  made  the  Mahamani-tank  and  gave  it  to  the  vihfira. 

4  Moreover,  he  built  the  vihara  called  Bhatikatissa.     He  built 
an   uposatha-house   in   the  beautiful  Thuparama;    the  king 

5  also  made  the  Randhakandaka-tank.     Filled  with  tenderness 
towards  beings  and  zealous  in  reverencing  the  brotherhood 
the  protector  of  the  earth  commanded  lavish  almsgiving  to 
the  community  of  both  sexes. 

6  After  the   death   of   Bhatikatissa    (his    younger   brother) 
KANITTHATISSAKA  l  reigned  eighteen  years  in  the  island  of 

7  Lanka.     Since  he  was  well  pleased  with  the  thera  Mahanaga 
in  the  Bhutarama  he  built  for  him  in  splendid  fashion  the 

8  Ratanapasada  in  the  Abhayagiri.     Moreover,  he  built  in  the 
Abhayagiri  a  wall  and  a  great  parivena  and  a  great  parivena 

9  besides  in  the  (vihara)  called  Manisoma.2     In  that  place  he 
built  a  temple   for  the  cetiya  and  in  like  manner  for  the 
Ambatthala-thupa ;    and  (he  ordered)  the  restoration  of  the 

10  temple  in  Nagadipa.     Doing  away  with  the  boundary  of  the 
Mahavihara,  the  king  built  there  the  row  of  cells  (called) 

11  Kukkutagiri  with  all  things  provided.     In  the  Mahavihara 
the   ruler    of    men    built    twelve   great   four-sided   pasadas, 

12  admirable  to  see  and  beautiful,  and  he  added  a  mantling  to 
the   thupa  of  the  Dakkhinavihara,  and  a  refectory  besides, 

1 3  doing  away  with  the  boundary  of  the  Mahameghavana.    And 
moving  the  wall  of  the  Mahavihara  to  the  side,  he  also  made 

14  a  road  leading  to  the  Dakkhinavihara.     He  built  the  Bhuta- 

1  The  name  means  '  the  younger  brother  Tissa '. 

2  Cf.  note  to  33.  84. 


xxxvi.  26  The  Thirteen  Kings  257 

ramavihara  and  the  Ramagonaka,  and  the  arama  of   Nan- 
datissa  besides. 

In  the  east  the  king  built  the  Anulatissapabbata  (vihara)  15 
in   Gahgaraji,  the  Niyelatissarama  and  the  Pilapitthi  vihara 
as  well  as  the  Kajamahavihara.     In  like  manner  he  built  in  16 
three  places  an  uposatha-house,  in  the  three  following  viharas,  1 7 
the  Kalyanikavihara,1  the   Mandalagirika,  also  the  (vihara) 
called  Dubbalavapitissa. 

After  Kanitthatissa's  death  his  son,  who  was  known  as  18 
KHUJJANAGA,   reigned  one   year.     The   younger  brother  of  19 
Khujjanaga  KUNCANAGA,  when  he  had  slain  the  king  his 
brother,  reigned   two   years   in   Lanka.     During  the   great  20 
Ekanalika2  famine  the  king  maintained  without  interruption 
a  great  almsgiving  3  appointed  for  five  hundred  bhikkhus. 

But  the  brother  of  Kuncanaga's  consort,  the  commander  of  21 
troops,  SIRINAGA,  became  a  rebel  against  the  king,  and  when  22 
he  was  equipped  with  troops  and  horses  he  moved  on  to  the 
capital  and  when  he,  in  battle  with  the  king's  army,  had  put  23 
king  Kuncanaga  to  flight,  victorious  he  reigned  over  Lanka 
nineteen  years  in  splendid  Anuradhapura.  When  the  king  had  24 
placed  a  parasol  on  the  stately  Great  Thupa,  he  had  it  gilded 
in  admirable  and  splendid  fashion.     He  built  the  Lohapasada,  25 
keeping  it  within  five  stories  (height),  and  he  restored  the  steps 
to  the  four  entrances  leading  to  the  great  Bodhi-tree.     When  26 
he  had  completed  the  parasol  and  the  pasada  4  he  commanded 
offerings  at  the  festival  (of  the  consecration) ;  great  in  compas- 
sion, he  remitted  the  tribute  of  families  5  throughout  the  island. 

1  Cf.  82.  51  and  note  to  1.  63. 

2  Nail  is  a  certain  measure  =  4  pasata  'handfuls'.   RHYS  DAVIDS, 
Ancient  Coins  and  Measures  of  Ceylon,  p.  17.     To  so  small  a  quantity 
of   food   were  the   people   reduced   in  that   famine.     Thence   the 
designation. 

3  Mahapela,  lit.  '  great  basket,'  in  contrast  to  ekanalika. 

4  The  readingis,!  think,  chattapasadam.     Still  Chattapasada 
may  also  be  understood  as  the  name  of  a  building.     Thus  TURNOUB, 
WIJESINHA.  and  my  edition. 

5  Ku  lam  ban  a  is  obscure.     Perhaps  it  means  a  certain  tribute 
in  kind  (ambana  is  a  measure  of  capacity,  used  as  a  corn-measure), 
which  was  levied  from  single  families  (kula). 

s 


258  Mahavamsa  XXXVI.  27 

27  After  the  death  of  Sirinaga  his  son  TISSA  reigned  twenty- 
two  years,  with  knowledge  of  (the)  law  and  (the)  tradition. 

28  Because  he  first  in  this  country  made  a  law  that  set  aside 
(bodily)  injury  (as  penalty)  he  received  the  name  king  Voharika- 

29  tissa.     When  he  had  heard  the  (preaching  of  the)  doctrine  by 
the  thera  Deva,  who  dwelt  in  Kappukagama,  he  restored  five 

30  buildings.   Moreover,  contented  with  the  thera  Mahatissa,  who 
dwelt  in  Anurarama.1  he  commanded  almsgiving  in  Mucela- 

31  pattana.2    When  the  king  Tissa3  had  set  up  a 'pavilion  in  the 
two  great  viharas  4  and  in  the  eastern  temple  of  the  great 

32  Bodhi-tree  two  bronze  images,  and  had  built  also  the  Satta- 
pannakapasada,  goodly  to  dwell  in,  he  appointed  every  month 

33  a  thousand  (pieces  of  money)5  for  the  Mahavihara.     In  the 
Abhayagiri-vihara  and  in  the  (vihara)  called  Dakkhinamula, 
in  the  Maricavatti-vihara  and  the  (vihara)  called  Kulalitissa, 

34  in  the  Mahiyarigana-vihara,  in  the   (vihara)  called  Mahaga- 
managa,  in  the  (viharas)  called  Mahanagatissa,  and  Kalyanika 

35  he  put  parasols  to  their  eight  thupas.     In  the  Mulanagasena- 

36  pati- vihara  and  in  the  Dakkhina(vihara),  in  the  Maricavatti- 
vihara  and  in  the  (vihara)  called  Puttabhaga,  in  the  (vihara) 
called  Issarasamana  and  the  (vihara)  named  Tissa  in  Naga- 

37  dipaka;  in  these  six  viharas  he  put  up  a  wall,  and  he  also 
built  an  uposatha-house  in  the  (vihara)    called   Anurarama. 

38  For  the  occasions  when  the  Ariyavamsa6  was  read  he  decreed 
over  the  whole  island  a  regular  giving  of  alms,  from  reverence 

39  for  the  true  doctrine.     With  the  spending  of  three  hundred 

1  According  to  35.  83  near  Mahagama  in  the  province  of  Rohana. 

2  According  to    the   Tika  mucelapattana    is   the    name  of  a 
'  ship'  made  of  bronze  in  which  offerings  were  placed.     Such  'canoes' 
but  of  stone,  which  evidently  served  the  same  purpose,  are,  in  fact, 
found  in  the  ruins  of  Anuradhapura.     ( BURROWS,  Buried  Cities  of 
Ceylon,  pp.  38,  43-44.) 

5  Following  the   reading  Tissaraja    mandapam.     If  we   read 
Tissarajamandapam    we    must    translate    'a    pavilion    (called) 
Tissaraja  (after  him)'. 

4  I.e.  the  Mahavihara  and  Abhayagiri-vihara. 

6  According  to  the  Tika,  articles  of  clothing. 

6  Lit.  'book  of  the  holy  ones,'  probably  the  life-histories  of  men 
eminent  in  the  Buddhist  Church,  which  were  read  aloud  publicly  for 
the  edification  of  the  people. 


xxxvi.  so  The  Thirteen  Kings  259 

thousand  (pieces  of  money)  this  king,  who  was  a  friend  to  the 
doctrine,  freed  from  their  indebtedness  such  bhikkhus  as  were 
in  debt.     When  he  had  decreed  a  great  Vesakha-festival,1  40 
he  bestowed  the  three  garments  on  all  the  bhikkhus  dwelling 
in  the  island.    Suppressing  the  Vetulya-doctrine 2  and  keeping  41 
heretics  in  check  by  his  minister  Kapila,  he  made  the  true 
doctrine  to  shine  forth  in  glory. 

This  king's  younger  brother,  known  as  ABHAYANAGA,  who  42 
was  the  queen's  lover,  being  discovered  (in  his  guilt)   took 
flight  for  fear  of  his  brother  and  went  with  his  serving-men  43 
to  Bhallatittha  and  as  if  wroth  with  him,  he  had  his  uncle's 
hands   and  feet  cut   off.     And  that  he  might  bring  about  44 
division  in  the  kingdom,  he  left  him  behind  here  and  took  his 
most  faithful  followers  with  him,  showing  them  the  example 
of  the  dog,3  and  he  himself  took  ship  at  the  same  place  and  45 
went  to  the  other  shore.     But  the  uncle,  Subhadeva,  went  to 
the  king  and  making  as  if  he  were  his  friend  he  wrought  46 
division  in  the  kingdom.    And  that  he  might  have  knowledge 
of  this,  Abhaya  sent  a  messenger  thither.     When  Subhadeva  47 
saw  him  he  loosened  (the  earth)  round  about  an  areca-palm, 
with  the  shaft  of  his  spear,  as  he  walked  round  (the  tree),  and 
when  he  had  made  it  thus  (to  hold)  but  feebly  by  the  roots, 
he  struck  it  down  with  his  arm;  then  did  he  threaten  the  48 
(messenger),  and  drove  him  forth.     The  messenger  went  and 
told  this  matter  to  Abhaya.    And  when  he  knew  this,  Abhaya  49 
took  many  Damilas  with  him  and  marched  from  there  against 
the  city  to  do  battle  with  his  brother.    On  news  of  this  the  king  50 

1  See  note  to  32.  35. 

2  Cf.  the  Vaipulya-sutras,  sometimes  also  called  Vaitulya-sutras, 
which  form  part  of  the  Northern  Mahayanist  Canon.     KERN,  Manual, 
p.  5  ;  idem,   Verslagen  en   Mededeel'mgen    van   de   K.  Ak.  van  Weten- 
schapen,  Afd.  Letterk.,  4e  R.,  D.  VIII,  p.  312  foil.,  Amsterdam,  1907 
(see  L.  DE  LA  VALLEE  POUSSIN,  J.E.A.S.  1907,  p.  432  foil. ;  WINDISCH, 
Abh.  d.  k.  Sachs.  Gesellsch.  d.  W.,  xxvii,  p.  472 ;  OLDENBERG,  Archiv 
fur  Eeligionswissenschaft,  xiii,  1910,  p.  614). 

3  According  to  the  Tika,  when  he  was  about  to  embark  on  the 
ship,  he   had  chided  and  punished  a  dog  that  he  had  with  him. 
Nevertheless  the  animal  followed  him,  wagging  his  tail.     Then  he 
said  to  his  followers,  'Even  as  this  clog,  you  must  stand  by  me  with 
unchangeable  fidelity.1 

S  2 


260  Mahavamsa  xxxvi.  51 

took  flight,  and,  with  his  consort,  mounting-  a  horse  he  came  to 

51  Malaya.     The  younger  brother  pursued  him,  and  when  he 
had  slain  the  king  in  Malaya,  he  returned  with  the  queen  and 
reigned  eight  years  in  the  capital  as  king. 

52  The  king  set  up  a  vedi  o£  stone  round  about  the  great 
Bodhi-tree,  and  a  pavilion  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Lohapa- 

53  sada.     And  obtaining  garments  of  every  kind  for  twice  a 
hundred  thousand  (pieces  of  money),  he  distributed  gifts  of 
clothing  amon'g  tne  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus  on  the  island. 

54  After  Abh'aya's  death,  SIRINAGA,  the  son  of   his  brother 

55  Tissa,  reigned  two  years  in  Lanka.    When  he  had  restored  the 
wall  round  about  the  great  Bodhi-tree,  then  did  this  king  also 

56  build  in  the  sand-court 1  of  the  temple  of  the  great  Bodhi- 
tree,  to  the  south  of  the  Mucela-tree,2  the  beautiful  Ham- 
savatta  and  a  great  pavilion  besides. 

57  Sirinaga's  son  named  ViJAtA-KuMARAKA  reigned  for  one 
year  after  his  father's  death. 

58  (At  that  time)  three  Lambakannas  lived  in  friendship  at 
Mahiyangana :    Samghatissa    and   Samghabodhi,    the    third 

59  being  Gothakabhaya.     When  they  were  coming  (to  Anura- 
dhapura)  to  do  service   to  the  king,  a  blind  man  who  had 
the  gift  of  prophecy,  being  by  the  edge  of  the  Tissa-tank, 

60  cried  out  at  the  sound  of  their  footsteps :  '  The  ground  bears 
here  three  rulers  of  the  earth ! '     As  Abhaya,  who  was  walking 
last,  heard  this  he  asked  (the  meaning  of  the  saying).     The 

61  other  uttered  yet  again  (the  prophecy).     'Whose  race  will 
endure?'    then   asked   again   the   other,   and   he   answered: 
<  That  of  the  last.'     When  he  had  heard  that  he  went  (on) 

62  with  the  two  (others).    When  they  were  come  into  the  capital 
the  three,  being  the  close  and  trusted  (counsellors)  of  the 
king,  remained  in  the  royal  service  about  the  king. 

63  When  they  together  had  slain  king  Vijaya  in  his  royal 
palace  the  two  (others)  consecrated  SAMGHATISSA,  the  com- 

64  mander  of  the  troops,  as  king.     Thus  crowned  did  Samgha- 

1  Valikatala  is  employed  here  in  the  same  way  as  vali- 
kangana  in  33.  31. 

*  Parato  is  paraphrased  in  the  Tika  by  dakkhinadisabhage, 
cf.  Mah.  25.  50. 


xxxvi.  76  The  Thirteen  Kings  261 

tissa  reign  four  years  in  stately  Anuradhapura.     He  set  up  65 
a  parasol  on  the  Great  Thupa  and  gilded  it,  and  moreover  the 
king  put  four  great  gems,  each  worth  a  hundred  thousand 
(pieces  of  money),  in  the  middle  of  the  four  suns,1  and  put  66 
upon  the  spire  of  the  thupa  a  precious  ring  of  crystal.     At  67 
the  festival  of  (consecrating)  the  chatta  the  ruler  of  men  dis- 
tributed the  six  garments  to  the  brotherhood  (in  number)  forty 
thousand.    As  he  (one  day)  when  listening  to  the  khandhakas  2  68 
heard  from  the  thera  Mahadeva,  dwelling  in  Damahalaka, 
the  sutta  that  sets  forth  the  merit  of  (a  gift  of)  rice-gruel,3  69 
he,  joyfully  believing,  distributed  to  the  brotherhood  at  the 
four  gates  of  the  city  an  abundant  and  well-prepared  gift  of 
rice-gruel. 

From  time  to  time  the  king,  with  the  women  of  the  royal  70 
household  and  the  ministers,  used  to  go  to  Paclnadlpaka4  to  eat 
jambu-fruits.     Vexed  by  his  coming  the  people  dwelling  in  71 
Pacmadlpa  poisoned  the  fruit  of  the  jambu-tree  from  which 
the  king  was  to  eat.     When  he  had  eaten  the  jambu-fruits  he  72 
died  forthwith  even  there.     And  Abhaya  consecrated  as  king 
Samghabodhi  who  was  charged  with  the  (command  of)  the 
army. 

The  king,  who  was  known  by  the  name  SIRISAMGHABODHI,  73 
reigned  two  years  in  Anuradhapura,  keeping  the  five  precepts.5 

In  the  Mahavihara  he  set  up   a   beautiful  salaka-house.6  74 
When  the  king   heard   that   the  people  of  the  island  were 
come  to  want  by  reason  of  a  drought  he  himself,  his  heart  75 
shaken  with  pity,  lay  down  on  the  ground  in  the  courtyard 
of  the  Great  Thupa,  forming  the  resolve  :  '  Unless  I  be  raised  76 


1  Which  were  placed  on  the  four  sides  of  the  '  Tee  '. 

2  The  sections  of  the  M.V.  and  C.V.  in  the  Vinaya-pitaka. 

3  See  M.V.  VI.  24.     Cf.  particularly  5  and  6.    The  scene  of  the 
exhortation  is  Andhakavinda. 

4  I.e.  'East-Island.'     The  Tika  says:   Mahatitthapattane  pa- 
rato   samuddamajjhe   sambhutam   Pacinadipam   agamasi. 
According  to  this  Pacinadipa  is  one  of  the  islands  between  the  north 
point  of  Ceylon  and  the  Indian  continent. 

5  See  note  to  1.  62. 

6  On  salakagga  see  note  to  15.  205. 


262  Mahavamsa  XXX VI.  77 

up  by  the  water  that  the  god  shall  rain  down  I  will  nevermore 

77  rise  up  from  hence,  even  though  I  die  here.'     As  the  ruler  of 
the  earth  lay  there  thus  the  god  poured  down  rain  forthwith  on 

78  the  whole  island  of  Lanka,  reviving  the  wide  earth.    And  even 
then  he  did  not  yet  rise  up  because  he  was  not  swimming 
in  the  water.     Then  his  counsellors  closed  up  the  pipes  by 

79  which  the  water  flowed  away.     And  as  he  now  swam  in  the 
water  the  pious  king  rose  up.     By  his  compassion  did  he  in 
this  way  avert  the  fear  of  a  famine  in  the  island. 

80  At  the  news :  '  Rebels  are  risen  here  and  there/  the  king 
had  the  rebels  brought  before  him,  but  he  released  them  again 

81  secretly ;  then  did  he  send  secretly  for  bodies  of  dead  men,  and 
causing  terror  vo  the  people  by  the  burning l  of  these  he  did 
away  with  the  fear  from  rebels. 

82  A  yakkha  known  as  Ratakkhi,2  who  had  come  hither,  made 

83  red  the  eyes  of  the  people  here  and  there.     If  the  people  did 
but  see  one  another  and  did  but  speak  of  the  redness  of  the 
eyes  they  died   forthwith,  and   the  yakkha   devoured   them 
without  fear. 

84  When  the  king  heard  of  their  distress  he  lay  down  with 
sorrowful  heart  alone  in  the  chamber  of  fasting,  keeping  the 

85  eight   uposatha   vows,3   (and   said) :    '  Till   I   have   seen  the 
yakkha  I  will  not  rise  up/     By  the  (magic)  power  of  his 

86  piety  the  yakkha  came  to  him.     To  the  king's  (question) : 
'  Who  art  thou  ? '  he  answered  :  '  It  is  I,  (the  yakkha)/    '  Why 

87  dost  thou  devour  my  subjects?     Swallow  them  not! '  'Give 
up  to  me  then  only  the  people  of  one  region/  said  the  other. 
And  being  answered :  '  That  is  impossible/  he  came  gradually 

88  (demanding  ever  less  and  less)  to  one  (man)  only.    The  (king) 
spoke :  '  No  other  can  I  give  up  to  thee ;  take  thou  me  and 
devour  me/    With  the  words :  '  That  is  impossible/  the  other 

1  He  had  the  corpses  burnt  in  place  of  the  rebels  and  thus  inspired 
the  belief  that  he  had  condemned  them  to  death  by  fire.     Cf.  also  sule 
uttaseti  '  to  impale '.     Jat.  T.  50011  and  frequently. 

2  I.e.    'Red-eye.'      Perhaps    scarlatina?     The    Attanagaluvamsa 
which  relates  this  episode  in  chap.  VI  (ed.  Alwis,  p.  16  foil.),  speaks 
of  a  fever  (jararoga)  beginning  with  inflammation  of  the  eyes. 

3  Cf.  with  this  SPENCE  HARDY,  Eastern  Monachism,  p.  237. 


xxxvi.  103  The  Thirteen  Kings  263 

prayed  him  (at  last)  to  give  him  an  offering  in  every  village. 
4  It  is  well/   said  the  king,  and  over  the  whole  island  he  89 
decreed  that  offerings l  be  brought  to  the  entrance  of  the 
villages,  and  these  he  gave  up  to  him.     Thus  by  the  great  90 
man/  compassionate  to  all  beings,  by  the  torch  of  the  island 
was  the  fear  pestilence  brought  to  an  end. 

The  king's  treasurer,  the  minister  Gothakabhaya,  who  had  91 
become  a  rebel,  marched  from  the  north  against  the  capital. 
Taking  his  water-strainer  with  him  the  king  fled  alone  by  92 
the  south  gate,  since  he  would  not  bring  harm  to  others. 

A  man  who  came,  bearing  his  food  in  a  basket,  along  that  93 
road  entreated  the  king  again  and  again  to  eat  of  his  food. 
When  he,  rich  in  compassion,  had  strained  the  water  and  had  94 
eaten  he  spoke  these  words,  to  show  kindness  to  the  other : 
'I  am  the  king  Samghabodhi;  take  thou  my  head  and  show  95 
it  to   Gothabhaya,  he  will  give  thee  much  gold.'     This  he  96 
would  not  do,  and  the  king  to  render  him  service  gave  up  the 
ghost  even  as  he  sat.     And  the  other  took  the  head  and  97 
showed  it  to   Gothabhaya  and  he,  in  amazement  of  spirit, 
gave  him  gold  and  carried  out  the  funeral  rites  of  the  king 
with  due  care. 

Thus  GOTHABHAYA,  also  known  as  Meghavannabhaya,  ruled  98 
thirteen  years  over  Lanka. 

He  built  a  palace,  and  when  he  had  built  a  pavilion  at  the  99 
entrance  to  the  palace  and  had  adorned  it,  even  there  did 
he  daily  invite  a  thousand  and  eight  bhikkhus  of  the  brother-  100 
hood  to  be  seated,  and  rejoicing  them  with  rice-gruel  and 
with  foods  excellent  and  of  many  kinds,  both  hard  and  soft, 
together  with  garments,  he  bestowed  alms  lavishly  upon  them.  101 
Twenty-one  days  did  he  continue  (to  give)  thus. 

In  the  Mahavihara  he  built  a  splendid  pavilion  of  stone;  102 
he  renewed3  the  pillars  of  the  Lohapasada.     He  set  up  a  vedl  103 


1  By  ball  are  understood  particularly  the  offerings  brought  to  the 
subordinate  divinities,  devatas,  tutelary  genii,  local  sprites,  &c. 

2  Mahasatta  is  used  elsewhere  as  designation  of  a  Bodhisatta. 

3  Lit.   'He  set  them   up  when  he  had  changed  them.'     In  Skt. 
parivartayati  (B.E.  s.  v.  vart  with  pari)  has  the  same  meaning. 


264  MaMvamsa  xxxvi.  104 

of  stone  for  the  great  Bodhi-tree  and  an  arched  gateway 
at  the  northern  entrance,  and  likewise  at  the  four  corners  (of 
the  courtyard)  pillars  with  wheel-symbols.1 

104  At  three  entrances  he  made  three  statues  of  stone  and  at 

105  the  south  gate  he  set  up  a  throne  of  stone.     To  the  west 
of  the  Mahavihara  he  laid  out  a  tract  of  land  for  exercises 
of  meditation,2  and  over  the  island  he  restored   all  ruined 

106  buildings.     In  the  Thuparama  he  ordered  the  thupa-temple  to 
be  restored  and  also  in  the  Ambatthala-monastery  of  the  thera 

107  (Mahinda) ;  3  and  in  the  arama  called  Manisoma,  and  in  the 
Thuparama,   in  the  Manisomarama   and  in  the  Maricavatti 
(vihara),  and   moreover  in  the  vihara  called  Dakkhina  (he 

108  restored)  the  uposatha-houses.     And  he  founded  also  a  new 
vihara  called  Meghavannabhaya  and  at  the  (time  of)  festal 

109  offering's  at  the  consecration  of  the  vihara  he  distributed  the 

O 

six  garments  to  thirty  thousand  bhikkhus  dwelling  on  the 
island,  whom  he  had  assembled. 

In  like  manner  he  appointed  then  a  great  Vesakha-festival,4 

110  and  yearly  did  he  distribute  the  six  garments  to  the  brother- 

111  hood.     Purifying  the  doctrine  by  suppression  of  heresy  he 
seized  bhikkhus  dwelling  in  the  Abhayagiri  (vihara),  sixty  in 
number,  who  had  turned  to  the  Vetulya-doc trine 5  and  were 

112  like  a  thorn  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha,  and  when  he  had 
excommunicated   them,6   he   banished   them   to   the   further 
coast.    A  bhikkhu  from  the  Cola  people,  named  Samghamitta, 

113  who  was  versed  in  the  teachings  concerning  the  exorcism  of 
spirits,  and  so  forth,  had  attached  himself  7  to  a  thera  banished 

1  See  note  to  30.  92. 

2  CHILDEBS,  P.D.  s.  v.  padhanam,  says:   'padhanabhumi,  a 
cloister  in  a  monastery  for  monks  to  walk  in  who  are  striving  to 
attain  arhatship.' 

3  The  Therambatthalaka  is  without  doubt  the  Ambatthala-thiipa 
built  in  memory  of  Mahinda  on  the  Cetiya-mountain.     See  note  to 
34.  71. 

*  Cf.  note  to  32.  35.  6  Cf.  note  to  36.  41. 

6  Katvana  niggaham  tesam,  lit.  'having    suppressed  them.' 
See  papakanam  niggahena  in  v.  110. 

7  Nissito,  the  term  for  one  who  stands  to  an  older  monk  in  the 
relation  of  pupil  to  teacher  (nissaya). 


xxxvi.  123  The  Thirteen  Kings  265 

thither,  and  he  came  hither  embittered  against  the  bhikkhus 
of  the  Mahavihara. 

When  this  lawless  (bhikkhu)   had  thrust  himself  into  an  114 
assembly  in  the  Thuparama  and  had  refuted  there  the  words 
of  the  thera  living  in  the  parivena  of  Samghapala,  namely  the  115 
thera  Gothabhaya,  uncle  of  the  king  on  the  mother's  side, 
who  had  addressed  the  king  with  his  (old)  name,  he  became  a  1 1 6 
constant  guest  in  the  king's  house.1     The  king  who  was  well 
pleased  with  him  entrusted  his  eldest  son  Jetthatissa  and  his 
younger  son  Mahasena,  to  the  bhikkhu.     And  he  made  the  117 
second  his  favourite,  therefore  prince  Jetthatissa  bore  ill-will 
to  the  bhikkhu. 

After  his  father's  death  JETTHATISSA   became  king.      To  118 
punish  the  hostile  ministers  who  would  not  go  in  procession 
with  him,  at  the  performing  of  the  king's  funeral  rites,  the  119 
king  himself  proceeded  forth,  and  placing  his  younger  brother 
at  the  head  and  then  the  body  following  close  behind,  and  120 
then  the  ministers  whilst  he  himself  was  at  the  end  (of  the 
procession),  he,  when  his  younger  brother  and  the  body  were 
gone  forth,  had  the  gate  closed  immediately  behind  them,  and  121 
he  commanded  that  the  treasonous  ministers  be  slain  and  (their 
bodies)  impaled  on  stakes  round  about  his  father's  pyre. 

Because  of  this  deed  he  came  by  the  surname  '  the  Cruel'.  122 
But  the  bhikkhu  Samghamitta,  for  fear  of  the  king,  went  hence  123 

1  The  passage  is  very  obscure  as  the  course  of  events  in  the  Thupa- 
rama is  too  briefly  described.  I  believe  that  we  must  supply  the 
object  rajanam  to  ranno  namenalapato,  and  that  we  have  to 
understand  the  passage  in  the  following  way.  A  solemn  assembly  of 
the  brotherhood  was  held  in  the  Thuparama  to  settle  the  dissensions 
between  the  various  parties.  The  king  himself  was  present.  In  this 
assembly  Samghamitta  exposed  his  heretical  doctrine,  speaking 
against  the  monks  of  the  Mahavihara,  and  he  succeeded  in  convincing 
the  king.  The  thera  Gothabhaya,  the  king's  uncle,  after  whom  the 
king  himself  was  named,  tried  to  bring  the  king  round  to  the 
orthodox  party.  But  although  he  spoke  urgently  to  him,  even 
addressing  him  tenderly,  not  with  his  royal  title  Meghavannabhaya, 
but  with  his  familiar  name  Gothabhaya  (Tika  :  tata  Gothabhaya 
Gothabhaya  ti .  .  .),  he  did  not  succeed,  and  Samghamitta  even 
became  the  king's  kulupaka.  On  this  see  note  to  30.  40. 


266  Mahavamsa  XXXVI.  124 

at  the  time  of  his  coronation,  when  he  had  taken  counsel 
with  Mahasena,  to  the  further  coast  awaiting  the  time  of 
(Mahasena's)  consecrating. 

124  He    (Jetthatissa)   built   up   to  seven  stories   the  splendid 
Lohapasada,  that  had  been  left  unfinished 1  by  his  father,  so 

125  that  it  was  now  worth  a  koti  (pieces)  of  money.     When  he 
had  offered  there  a  jewel  worth  sixty  thousand,  Jetthatissa 
named  it  the  Manipasada. 

126  He  offered  two  precious  gems  to  the  Great  Thupa,  and  he 
built  three  gateways  to  the  temple  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree. 

127  When  he  had  built  the  vihara  Pacinatissapabbata  the  ruler 
gave  it  to  the  brotherhood  in  the  five  settlements. 

128  The  great  and  beautiful  stone  image  that  was  placed  of  old 

129  by  Devanampiyatissa  in  the  Thuparama  did  king  Jetthatissa 
take  away  from  the  Thuparama,  and  set  up  in  the  arama 

130  Pacinatissapabbata.     He  bestowed  the  Kalamattika-tank  on 
the  Cetiyapabbata  (vihara),  and  when  he  celebrated  the  con- 
secrating festival  of  the  vihara  and  the  pasada  and  (held) 

131  a  great  Vesakha-ceremony  he  distributed  the  six  garments 
among  the  brotherhood,  in  number  thirty  thousand.     Jettha- 

132  tissa  also  made  the  Alambagama-tank.     Accomplishing  thus 
many  works  of  merit,  beginning  with  the  building  of  the 
pasada,  the  king  reigned  ten  years. 

133  Thus,  reflecting  that  sovereignty,  being  the  source  of  mani- 
fold works  of  merit,  is  at  the  same  time  the  source  of  many  an 
injustice,  a  man  of  pious  heart  will  never  enjoy  it  as  if  it  were 
sweet  food  mixed  with  poison. 

Here  ends  the  thirty-sixth  chapter,  called  '  The  Thirteen 
Kings ',  in  the  Mahavamsa,  compiled  for  the  serene  joy  and 
emotion  of  the  pious. 

1  Vippakata  is  used  (e.g.  D.I.  22fi)  of  an  interrupted  discourse. 
Here  we  have  the  interrupting  of  building  (ef.  36.  102  cd.).  The 
Tika  renders  the  word  correctly  nitthanam  agatam  aparinit- 
thapitam. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

*  KING   MAHASENA1 

AFTER  king  Jetthatissa's  death,  his  younger  brother  MAHA-  1 
SENA  ruled  twenty-seven  years  as  king.    And  to  consecrate  him  2 
as  king,  the  thera  Samghamitta  came  thither  from  the  further 
coast,    when   he    heard   the   time    (of   Jetthatissa's   death).2 
When   he  had  carried  out  the   consecration   and   the  other  3 
ceremonies  of  various  kind,  the  lawless  (bhikkhu)  who  would 
fain  bring  about  the  destruction  of  the  Mahavihara  won  the  4 
king   to   himself   with    the   words : — '  The   dwellers   in   the 
Mahavihara  do  not  teach  the  (true)  vinaya,  we  are  those  who 
teach  the  (true)  vinaya,  O  king',  and  he  established  a  royal  5 
penalty :   '  Whosoever  gives  food  to  a  bhikkhu  dwelling  in 
the  Mahavihara  is  liable  to  a  fine  of  a  hundred  (pieces  of 
money)/ 

The  bhikkhus  dwelling  in  the  Mahavihara,  who  thereby  G 
fell   into   want,    abandoned    the   Mahavihara,   and   went   to 
Malaya  and  Rohana.     Thus  was  our  Mahavihara  desolate  for  7 
nine  years  and  empty  of  those  bhikkhus  who  (else)  had  dwelt 
in  the  Mahavihara.     And  the  unwise  thera  persuaded  the  8 

1  After  verse  50  in  chapter  37  the  old  Mahavamsa  breaks  off.     But 
the  later  author,  who  continued  the  work,  carried  on  this  chapter  and 
added  198  verses,  giving  to  the  whole  the  subscription  Sattarajako 
=  'the  Seven  Kings  \   (However,  there  are  in  reality  six  : — Mahasena, 
Kittisiri-Meghavanna,  Jetthatissa  II,  Buddhadasa,  Upatissa  II,  and 
Mahanama.)     Our  section  (verses  1-50)  has  thus  no  conclusion,  neither 
the  usual  memorial  verse,  nor  a  subscription.     The  substance  of  the 
former  ought  to  have  corresponded  to  that  of  the  closing  verses  of 
the  Dip.,  but  was  clothed  in  a  more  artistic  form.     The  writer  who 
continued  the  Mah.  put  the  last  two  verses  of  the  Dip.  at  the  head  of 
his  own  work  and  thus  connected  the  new  part  of  the  poem  with  the 
old  one.     On  the  whole  process,  cf.  GEIGEE,  Dip.  and  Mah.,  pp.  18-19. 

2  Tika:  kalam   natva,  Jetthatissassa  matakalam  janitva. 


268  Mahavamsa  XXXVII.  9 

9  unwise  king  : — '  Ownerless  land  belongs  to  the  king/  l  and 
when  he  had  gained  leave  from  the  king  to  destroy  the 
Mahavihara,  this  (bhikkhu),  in  the  enmity  of  his  heart,  set  on 
people  to  do  so. 

10  An    adherent   of    the    thera    Samghamitta,    the    ruthless 
minister  Sona,   a  favourite  servant  of  the  king,   and  (with 

11  him)  shameless  bhikkhus,  destroyed  the  splendid  Lohapasada 
seven  stories  high,   and  carried  away  the  (material  of  the) 

12  various  buildings  from  hence  to  the  Abhayagiri  (vihara),  and 
by  means  of  the  many  buildings  2  that  were  borne  away  from 
the  Mahavihara  the  Abhayagiri-vihara  became  rich  in  build- 

13  ings.     Holding  fast  to  his  evil  friend,  the  thera  Samghamitta, 
and  to  his  servant  Sona,  the  king  wrought  many  a  deed  of  wrong. 

14  The  king  sent  for  the  great  stone  image  from  the  Paclna- 
tissapabbata  (vihara)  and  set  it  up  in  the  Abhayagiri  (vihara). 

1 5  He  set  up  a  building  for  the  image,  a  temple  for  the  Bodhi- 
tree,  a   beautiful   relic-hall  and   a  four-sided   hall,3  and  he 

16  restored  the  (parivena)  called  Kukkuta.4     Then  by  the  ruthless 
thera  Samghamitta  was  the  Abhayagiri-vihara  made  stately 
to  see. 

17  The  minister  named  Meghavannabhaya,  the  friend  of  the 
king,  who  was  busied  with  all  his  affairs,  was  wroth  with  him 

1 8  for  destroying  the  Mahavihara ;  he  became  a  rebel,  and  when 
he  had  gone  to  Malaya  and  had  raised   a  great  force,  he 
pitched  a  camp  by  the  Duratissaka-tauk.5 

1 9  When  the  king  heard  that  his  friend  was  come  thither,  he 

1  A  play  on   the   words  assamiko  and  pathavisami   'owner 
(ruler)  of  the  earth  '. 

2  Pasada  means  here,  in  quite  a  general  sense,  the  habitations  of 
the  bhikkhus  in  the  Mahavihara,  which  were  demolished  here  and 
the  material  of  which  was  conveyed  to  the  Abhayagiri-vihara. 

3  Catu(s)sala.     A  certain  building  of  this  name  in  Anuradhapura 
is  mentioned,  Mah.  15.  47,  50 ;  and  35.  88.     In  our  passage  the  word 
is  evidently  an  appellativum. 

4  By  this  is  probably  meant  the  Kukkutagiri-parivena  erected  by 
Kanitthatissa.     See  36.  10. 

B  See  note  to  33.  9.  Meghavannabhaya  evidently  marches  from 
the  central  mountain-district  of  Malaya  to  secure  the  province  of 
Rohana. 


XXXVII.  34  King  Mahasena  269 

marched  forth  to  do  battle  with  him,  and  he  also  pitched 
a  camp. 

The  other  had  good  drink  and  meat,  that  he  had  brought  20 
with  him  from  Malaya  and  thinking :   *  I  will  not  enjoy  it 
without  my  friend  the  king/  he  took  some,  and  he  himself  21 
went  forth  alone  by  night,  and  coming  to  the  king  he  told  him 
this  thing.     When  the  king  had  eaten  with  him,  in  perfect  22 
trust,  that  which  he  had  brought,  he  asked  him  :  (  Why  hast 
thou  become  a  rebel?'     c  Because  the  Mahavihara  has  been  23 
destroyed  by  thee '  he  answered.     '  I  will  make  the  vihara  to 
be  dwelt  in  yet  again;    forgive  me  my  fault/   thus  spoke  24 
the   king,    and    the   other   was    reconciled   with    the    king. 
Following  his  counsel  the  king  returned  to  the  capital.     But  25 
Meghavannabhaya,    who   persuaded   the   king   (that   it  was 
fitting  to  do  this),  did  not  go  with  the  king  that  he  might 
collect  in  the  meantime  the  wherewithal  to  build. 

One  of  the  king's  wives,  who  was  exceedingly  dear  to  him,  26 
the  daughter  of  a  scribe,  grieved  over  the  destruction  of  the 
Mahavihara,  and  when  she,  in  bitterness  of  heart,  had  won  over  27 
a  labourer  to  kill  the  thera  who  had  destroyed  it,  she  caused  the 
violent  thera  Samghamitta  to  be  done  to  death  as  he  came  to  28 
the  Thuparama  to  destroy  it.     And   they  slew  likewise  the 
violent  and  lawless  minister  Sona.     But  when  Meghavanna-  29 
bhaya    had   brought    the   building-materials    (that    he    had 
collected),  he  built  several  parivenas  in  the  Mahavihara.  When  30 
this  fear  had  (thus)  been  calmed  by  Abhaya  the  bhikkhus 
coming  from  here  and  there  again  inhabited  the  Mahavihara. 
But  the  king  made  two  bronze  images  and  set  them  up  on  31 
the  west  side  of  the  temple  of  the  great  Bodhi-tree. 

Being   well-pleased  with   the   hypocrite,  the   plotter,  the  32 
lawless  thera  Tissa,  his  evil  friend,  who  dwelt  in  the  Dakkhi- 
narama,    he,    although    he    was   warned,   built    within    the  33 
boundaries  of   the  Mahavihara,  in  the    garden  called   Joti, 
the  Jetavana-vihara.1     Then  he  called  upon  the  brotherhood  34 

1  According  to  15.  202,  Jotivana  is  a  name  for  the  Nandana  park 
which,  according  to  15.  1,  7-8,  was  situated  immediately  before  the 
south  gate  of  Anuradhapura.  From  this  and  from  our  passage  it 
appears  quite  certain  that  the  Jetavana-vihara  must  be  the  monastery 


270  Mahavamsa  xxxvii.  35 

of  monks  to  do  away  with  their  boundaries,  and  since  the 
bhikkhus  would  not  do  this,  they  abandoned  the  vihara. 

35  But  now,  to  make  the  shifting1  of  the  boundary  void  of  effect, 
if  others  should  seek  to  do  this,  certain  bhikkhus  hid  them- 
selves in  various  places.1 

36  Thus  was  the  Mahavihara  abandoned  for  nine  months  by 
the  bhikkhus,  and  the  other  bhikkhus  thought :    f  We  will 

37  begin  to  shift  (the  boundaries)/     Then,  when  this  attempt 
to    shift     the    boundary    was     given     up,2    the    bhikkhus 

38  came  back  hither  and  dwelt  again  in  the  Mahavihara.     But 
within  the  brotherhood  of  bhikkhus  a  complaint  touching  an 
offence  of  the  gravest  kind3  was  raised   against  the  thera 

39  Tissa,  who  had  received  the  (Jetavana)   vihara.     The  high 
minister,  known  to  be  just,  who  decided  (the  matter)  excluded 
him,  according   to   right   and   law,    from   the   order,   albeit 
against  the  king's  wishes. 

40  The  king  built  also  the  Manihira- vihara  4  and  founded  three 

41  viharas,  destroying  temples  of  the  (brahmanical)  gods: — the 
Gokanna   (vihara),  (and  another  vihara)  in  Erakavilla,  (and 
a  third)  in  the  village  of  the  Brahman  Kalanda ; 5  (moreover 

the  thupa  of  which  was  mistakenly  (called)  the  Abhayagiri  Dagaba. 
On  the  other  hand  the  present  Jetavana  Dagaba  to  the  north  of  the 
city  belonged  to  the  Abhayagiri.  Cf.  note  33.  81. 

1  Namely,  within  the  old  boundaries  of  the  Mahavihara,  possession 
of  which  was  thus  formally  maintained.     Tika:  antosimaya  eva 
annatthaagantvatasmim  tasmim  thane  paticchanna  hutva 
niliyimsu. 

2  Evidently  since  the  bhikkhus  remaining  behind  raised  a  protest. 

3  Antimavatthu  is  a  matter  that  involves  expulsion  from  the 
order.    Cf.  M.V.  II.  22. 3  ;  36.  1  ;  S.B.E.  xiii,  p.  276,  note  1. 

4  Now  Minneriya,  the  name  of  a  tank  (see  below,  v.  47)  not  far 
from  Polonnaruwa. 

5  According  to  the  Tika  the  Gokanna-vihara  is  situated  on  the  coast 
of  the  'Eastern  Sea',  the  two  other  viharas  in  Rohana.     The  Tika 
then  adds :    evam  sabbattha  Lankadipamhi  kuditthikanam 
alayam     viddhamsetva,     Sivalingadayo     nasetva    buddha- 
sasanam  eva  patitthapesi  'everywhere  in  the  island  of  Lanka 
he   established  the  doctrine  of  the  Buddha,  having  destroyed  the 
temples  of  the  unbelievers,  i.e.  having  abolished  the  phallic  symbols 
of  Siva  and  so  forth '. 


xxxvil.  50  King  Mahasena  271 

he  built)  the  Migagama-vihara  and  the  Gahgasenakapabbata 
(vihara).      To     the    west,    he    built    the   Dhatusenapabbata  42 
(vihara) ;  the  king  founded  also  the  great  vihara  in  Kokavata. 
He  built  the  Thuparama-vihara  and  the  Hulapitthi  (vihara)  43 
and  the  two  nunneries,  called  Uttara  and  Abhaya.   At  the  place  44 
of  the  yakkha  Kalavela 1  he  built  a  thupa,  and  on  the  island 
he  restored  many  ruined  buildings.     To   one  thousand  satn-  45 
ghattheras 2  he  distributed   alms  for  theras,  at   a  cost   of  a 
thousand  (pieces  of  money),  and  to  all  (the  bhikkhus  he  dis- 
tributed) yearly  a  garment.     There  is  no  record  of  his  gifts  46 
of  food  and  drink. 

To  make  (the  land)  more  fertile,  he  made  sixteen  tanks,  the  47 
ManihTia,3  the  Mahagama,  the  Challura,  and  the  (tank)  named 
Khanu,4  the  Mahamani,5  the  Kokavata6  and  the  Dhamma-  48 
ramma-tank,   the  Kumbalaka  and  the  Vahana,   besides  the 
Rattamalakandaka,7   the  tank  Tissavaddhamanaka,8  that  of 
Velangavitthi,9  that  of  Mahagallaka,  the  Clra-tank  and  the  49 
Mahadaragallaka  and  the  Kalapasana-tank.     These  are  the 
sixteen  tanks.     On  the  Gafiga  he  built  the  great  canal  named  50 
Pabbatanta. 

Thus  did  he  gather  to  himself  much  merit  and  much  guilt. 

The  Mahavamsa  is  ended. 

1  Cf.  10.  84. 

2  I.  e.  superiors  of  the  communities  of  bhikkhus.     Cf.  3.  4  ;  4.  56. 

3  See  above  note  to  37.  40. 

1  A  Khanugama  is  mentioned  25.  14. 

5  In  36.  3   the  construction   of  a  Mahamani-tank   is  ascribed   to 
Bhatikatissa. 

6  Cf.  the  Kokavata-vihara  in  37.  42. 

7  Maharatmala  is  the  older  name  of  the  great  Padaviya-lake  in  the 
North  Central  Province,  25  miles  north  of  Anuradhapura.  Arch.  Survey 
of  Ceylon,  XIII,  1896,  p.  40.  There  is,  however,  also  a  Ratmala-tank  2i 
miles  south  of  Anuradhapura.     ED.  MULLER,  Ancient  Inscriptions  of 
Ceylon,  p.  27. 

8  A  village  or  district  of  this  name  is  mentioned  in  35.  84. 

9  A  vihara  of  the  same  name,  see  33.  8. 


APPENDIX   A 

THE  DYNASTY   OF   MAHASAMMATA 

ON  Mah.  2  =  Dip.  3  =  Sum.  T.  p.  258  =  Rajav.  p.  4  foil. 
(Engl.  transl.  by  B.  GUNASEKAEA)  I  should  like  to  give  a 
reference  to  two  parallel  passages  in  northern  Buddhist  litera- 
ture, the  Mahavastu  l  which  belongs  to  the  Vinaya  of  the 
Mahasamghikas  and,  moreover,  of  the  Lokottaravada-school, 
and  to  the  Dulva,2  the  Tibetan  translation  of  the  Vinaya  of 
the  Sarvastivadins. 

The  names  handed  down  in  both  these  sources  may  be 
compared  with  those  of  the  D.  and  M.  in  the  following  list : — 


Dip.  Mah. 

Mahavastu 

Dulva 

Mahasammata 

Mahasammata 

Mahasammata 

Roja 

— 

Rokha 

Vararoja 

— 

— 

Kalyana 

Kalyana 

Kalyana 

Varakalyana 
Uposatha 

Rava  ?' 
Uposadha 

Varakalyana 
Utposadha 

Mandhatar 

Mandhata 

Mandhata 

Caraka 

— 

Karu 

Upacara 

— 

Upakaru 

&c. 

&c. 

Karumat,  &c. 

1 

| 

| 

Okkaka 

Iksvaku 

Iksvaku 

(Dip.  :  surnamed 

(surnamed  Sujata) 

(Gotama) 

Sujata) 

Okkamukha,  Nipuna 

Ulkamukha,3  Nipura 

Ulkamukha,  Nupura 

and  three  other 

and  three   other 

and  two  other 

sons 

sons 

sons 

1  Ed.  SENART,  i,  p.  348. 

2  See  ROCKHILL,  Life  of  the  Buddha  (1907),  p.  11  foil. 

3  In  the  Mahavastu  tradition  not  Ulkamukha  but  Opura  is  said  to 
be  the  eldest  son ;  but  in  the  Dulva  again  the  former  is  so. 

T 


274  Appendix  A 

In  the  Mahavastu  1. 3488-3528  and  in  the  Dulva  (ROCKHILL, 
p.  11  foil.)  there  follows  a  story  about  the  rise  of  the  Sakya 
and  the  founding  of  Kapilavastu.  Iksvaku  banishes  his  legiti- 
mate sons  from  the  country  as  he  wishes  to  hand  on  the  throne 
to  Jenta  the  son  of  a  concubine.  He  is  thus  fulfilling  a 
promise  into  which  the  mother  of  Jenta  has  beguiled  him. 
Iksvaku's  sons  withdraw  into  the  wilderness  and  there  take 
to  wife  their  sisters  who  have  accompanied  them.  Afterwards 
Kapilavastu  is  built  by  them.  Their  descendants  are  the 
Sakyas. 

This  story  was  also  known  to  the  Theravadins.  It  occurs 
in  Sum.  T.  p.  258  foil,  and  in  the  Tlka  to  the  Mahavamsa, 
p.  84.1  In  agreement  with  the  Dulva  the  M.  T.  mentions  only 
four  sons  of  Okkaka  who  were  banished  from  the  country ; 
the  fifth  is  Jantu  to  whom  the  brothers  have  to  give  way. 

Further  on  (I.  p.  35215  foil.)  the  Mahavastu  relates  the 
story  of  a  Sakya  king's  daughter  who  is  a  leper  and  therefore 
banished  to  the  forest.  Here  she  is  cured  and  is  found  by 
a  hermit  named  Kola.  Kola  had  formerly  been  king  of 
Benares  and  had  withdrawn  into  the  forest  because  he  too 
suffered  from  leprosy.  He  married  the  Sakya  princess  and 
from  these  two  sprang  the  Koliya  clan. 

This  legend  too  was  known  in  Ceylon,  we  come  across  it  in 
Sum.  T.  p.  260  foil,  and  in  the  (Sinhalese)  Rajavali  immediately 
following  on  the  story  of  the  sons  of  Iksvaku.2 

The  Mahavastu  and  Dulva  speak  of  Simhahanu  (=  Slhahanu 
in  Dip.  Mah.)  as  the  Buddha's  grandfather.  He  has  four  sons  : 
(1)  Suddhodana  the  Buddha's  father,  (2)  Dhautodana,  (3)  Su- 
klodana  and  (4)  Amrtodana.  These  are  the  Suddhodana, 
Dhotodana,  Sukkodana  and  Amitodana  of  the  Dip.  and  Mah., 
which  add  yet  another,  Sakkodana. 

According  to  the  Dip.  Mah.  the  Buddha's  genealogical  tree  3 
is  this : — 

1  Mahavamsa-Tika,  ed.  BATUWANTUDAWE  and  NANISSARA  BHIK- 
SHU,  Colombo,  1895.  GEIGER,  Dip.  and  Mah.,  p.  38. 

9  The  Rdjdvaliya,  ed.  (in  English)  by  B.  GUNASEKARA,  Colombo, 
1900,  pp.  11-13.  GEIGER,  l.l.,  p.  95. 

3  See  also  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Buddhism  (1910),  p.  52. 


The  Dynasty  of  Mahasammata  275 

Devadahasakka  Jayasena 

I  I 


Anjana  Kaccana,  married  to  Sihahanu  Yasodhara. 

married  to  Anjana 


Suddhodana,  married  to  Maya 

!__ I 

Bodhisatta 

The  Mahavastu  I.  35515  foil,  names  as  Maya's  father 
Subhuti  who  was  married  to  a  Koliya  princess  and  lived  in 
Devadaha.  Plainly  this  is  the  Anjana  of  the  Mah.,  and  the 
Suprabuddha  of  the  Dulva  (p.  14),  while  the  Mah.  (2. 18-19) 
takes  Suppabuddha  to  be  the  son  of  Anjana  and  brother  of 
Maya.  Perhaps  Suprabuddha  was  a  surname  borne  by  the 
father  and  son.1 

1  For  the  whole  subject  cf.  also  SPENCE  HARDY,  Manual  of 
Buddhism,  p.  125  foil. 


T  2 


APPENDIX  B 

THE  BUDDHIST   SECTS 

(On  Mali.  5.  1-13) 

RHYS  DAVIDS.  'The  Sects  of  the  Buddhists/  J.R.A.S., 
1891,  p.  409  foil.;  the  same,  <  Schools  of  Buddhist  Belief/ 
J.R.A.S.  1892,  p.  1  foil.;  MINAYEFF,  Recherche*  sur  le  Boud- 
dhisme,  p.  187  foil. 

SOUTHERN  BUDDHIST  LISTS  (SB.)  occur  besides  Mah.  5  in  the 
Dip.  5.  39  foil.;  also  in  the  Mahdbodhivamsa  (ed.  STRONG, 
P.T.S.  1891),  pp.  96-97,  in  the  Sdsanavamsa  (ed.  M.  BODE, 
P.T.S.  1897),  p.  14,  24-25;  in  the  Sinhalese  Nikaya- 
Samgraha  (ed.  WICKREMASINGHE),  pp.  6-9.  Special  mention 
should  be  made  of  the  Commentary  on  the  Kathdvatthu,  the 
KathdvaUhuppakamtw-AttJiakathd  (ed.  MINAYEFF,  J. P.T.S. 
1889,  pp.  2-3,  5  and  passim).  The  Kathavatthuppakarana  is 
ascribed  to  Tissa  Moggaliputta,1  who  is  said  to  have  composed 
it  after  the  holding  of  the  Third  Council  in  order  to  refute 
the  views  held  by  sectaries.  The  names  of  the  sects  are  not 
mentioned  in  the  Kathavatthu  but  are  in  the  commentary 
thereon,  mentioned  above,  which  was  composed  by  Buddha- 
ghosa.2 

All  the  Southern  Buddhist  lists  are  in  complete  agreement 
with  one  another. 

1  I  adhere  to  this  assertion  (Mah.  5.  278)  as  a  statement  of  fact. 
That  the  objection  raised  by  MINAYEFF  (Recherches,  p.  200)  to  the  age 
of  the  work  is  based  upon  an  error  has  been  already  demonstrated  by 
OLDENBERQ,  Z.D.M.G.,  52,  p.  633,  and  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues, 
i,  p.  xviii. 

2  Quoted  by  me  as  Kvu.  Co. 


The  Buddhist  Sects  277 

I  will  mention,  when  occasion  arises,  certain  trifling  varia- 
tions in  the  Nik.  Samgr.  The  ground  for  the  agreement  is 
that  all  the  southern  sources  are  based,  in  the  last  resort, 
upon  the  old-sinhalese  Atthakatha. 

NORTHERN  BUDDHIST  LISTS  (NB.)  occur  in  the  Dulva,  the 
Tibetan  Vinaya  of  the  Sarvastivadins  according  to  a  work  of 
Bhavya,  see  ROCKHILL,  Life  of  the  Buddha  (1907),  p.  182  foil. 
(R.)7  and  according  to  a  work  of  Vasumitra,  see  WASSILJEW, 
Der  Buddhismus  (1860),  i,  p.  224  foil.  (W.),  also  BEAL,  <  The 
Eighteen  Schools  of  Buddhism'  (2nd.  Ant,  ix,  p.  299 
foil.)  (VB.).1 

Besides  we  have  lists  in  Taranatha.  See  SCHIEFNER,  Tdrand- 
tha's  History  of  Buddhism  in  India  (1869),  pp.  270-274  (Tar.). 

ST.  JULIEN  gives  five  Chinese  lists  based,  for  the  most  part, 
upon  Vasumitra  :  '  Listes  diverses  des  noms  de  dix-huit  ecoles 
schismatiques  qui  sont  sorties  du  Bouddhisme,'  Journ.  As., 
v.  serie,  t.  xiv  (1859),  p.  327  foil.  (St.  J.).  To  these  may  be 
added  the  statements  of  the  Chinese  pilgrims  Fa-hian,  Hiuen- 
thsang  2  and  I-tsing.3 

The  number  of  the  sects  is  unanimously  given  as  18. 
Evidently  we  again  have  to  do  with  one  of  those  established 
numbers  which  form  the  backbone  of  tradition. 

The  individual  names  vary  and  the  dividing-up  of  the  sects 
also  shows  certain  variations.  This  is  shown  by  the  following 
survey : — 

1.  SB.  THERAVADA  =  NB.  STHAVIRAVADA  is  one  of  the 
two  original  schools  into  which  the  united  church  was  divided 
at  the  first  schism.  It  was  so  according  to  Mali.  Dip.,  &c., 
also  according  to  St.  J.,  p.  343  (list  V),  100  years  after  the 
Nirvana.  On  the  other  hand  the  number  is  116  in  St.  J. 
333  (list  II);  and  160  in  R.  182,  St.  J.  336  (list  V). 

1  BEAL  gives  two  lists  following  Vasumitra,  as  ROCKHILL  gives 
two  following  Bhavya. 

2  I  call  them  Ch.  1,  2,  and  quote  Fa-hian  and  Hiuen-thsang  accord- 
ing to  BEAL  (B.),  Buddhist  Records  of  the  Western  Worlds. 

3  A  record  of  the  Buddhist  religion  by  I-tsing,  transl.  by  TAKAKUSI/, 
Ch.3. 


278  Appendix  B 

We  may  consider  as  a  synonymous  designation  : — 
la.  SB.  HEMAVATA  =  NB.  HAIMAVATA  in  W.  253,  VB. 
300,  R.  184.  Still  in  R.  190  distinctions  are  made  between 
the  Sthaviras  and  the  Haimavatas.  In  Dip.  and  Mah.,  &c.,  they 
are  considered  as  separate  sects.  Probably  the  Haimavatas 
were  a  local  school  of  the  Sthaviras  of  continental  India. 

2.  SB.  MAHASAMGHIKA  =  NB.  MAHASAMGHiKA.1  For  their 
particular  doctrine  see  W.  258  foil.      They  are  the  second 
school  of  the  first  great  schism. 

3.  SB.  GOKULIKA  =  NB.  GOKULIKA  (R.  186,  187;  Tar. 
271 ;  VB.  301 ;  St.  J.  330,  334,  337,  341  =  lists  I-IV).   The 
name  is  missing  in  Ch.  1,  2,  3  as  also  in  W.     In  its  place 
here  appears : — 

3a.  KUKKUTIKA  (W.  252,  258)  or  KTJKKULIKA  (W.  249; 
VB.  300).  Similarly  in  St.  J.  344  (list  V),  the  Kaukkutikas 
are  put  in  instead  of  the  Gokulikas  and  the  two  are  expressly 
said  341  (list  IV)  to  be  identical. 

Very  closely  related  to  the  Gokulikas  are  : — 
3b.  LOKOTTARAVADIN  who  do  not  appear  in  the  tradition 
of  the  Southern  Buddhists.  They  are  mentioned  immediately 
beside  the  Gokulikas  (or  Kukkutikas).  (W.  249,  252,  258; 
VB.  301 ;  St.  J.  334,  337,  341,  343  =  lists  II- V.)  In  R.  182 
they  are  to  be  found  just  in  the  place  where  we  should  expect 
the  Gokulikas.  Cf.  St.  J.  330  =  list  I  and  Tar.  271,  where 
the  Gokulikas  appear  in  the  list,  whilst,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
Lokottaravadins  are  missing.  Lastly,  Tar.  says,  273,  that 
Lokottaravadins  and  Kaukkutapadas  are  the  same.  Ch.  2 
mentions  the  L.  in  Bamian  (BEAL,  i.  50). 

4.  SB.  EKAVYOHARIKA  =  NB.  EKAVYAVAHARIKA  (W.  249, 
252;   VB.  300,  301;  R.  182,  187;   Tar.  271;   St.  J.  330, 
334,  337,  341,  344  =  lists  I-V).     According  to  Tar.  273  the 
name   is  employed  as  a  general  designation  of  the  Maha- 
samghikas.     Their  doctrines  according   to  W.    258  are  the 
same  as  those  of  2,  3a  and  3b. 

1  In  St.  J.  340  (list  II)  the  Karmikas,  besides  the  Yogacaras  and 
Aisvarikas,  are  reckoned  as  belonging  to  the  Mahasamghikas. 


The  Buddhist  Sects  279 

5.  SB.  PANNATTIVADIN  =  NB.  PRAJNAPTIVADIN  (W.  251; 
R.  182 ;   Tar.  271 ;    St.  J.  341  =  list  IV ;   missing  in  VB. 
300 ;  St.  J.  lists  I-III,  V,  also  in  R.  185).     They  are  the 
Si-chi  in  VB.  301.    For  their  particular  doctrines  see  W.  268, 
R.  189. 

6.  SB.  BAHULIKA  =  NB.  BAHUSRUTIYA  (W.  250;  VB.  300, 
301;  R.   182;  Tar.  250,  252;  St.  J.  330,  334,  338,  341, 
345  =  lists  I-V).     For  their  doctrines  see  W.  268 ;  R.  189. 

7.  SB.  CETIYAVADA  =  NB.  CAITIKA  or  CAITYIKA  (W.  251, 
252;  VB.  300,  301  ;  R.  182,  186).     They  are  said  to  be  a 
branch  of  the  Gokulikas,  R.  189  ;  Tar.  252.     In  Tar.  273  they 
are  said  to  be  identical  with  the  Purvasailas.     Corresponding 
to  them  in  the  lists  I-III,  V  =  St.  J.  330,  334,  338,  345  are 
the  Jetikas  or  Jetavaniyas  or  Jetasailas. 

8.  SB.    MAHIMSASAKA  =  NB.    MAHIS"ASAKA.      They  are, 
according  to  R.  186;  Tar.  271,  to  be  reckoned  as  belonging 
to  the  Vibhajyavadins  (cf.  14a)  and  are  said  to  be  a  branch  of 
the  Sarvastivadins  in  W.  254;  VB.  300,  301  ;  St.  J.  335, 
339,  342,  345  =  lists  II-V.     For  their  doctrines  see  R.  185, 
191 ;  W.  280  foil.     Ch.  2  mentions  them  in  Swat  (BEAL,  i, 
p.  121).     According  to  the  same  authority  (BEAL,  i,  p.  226) 
the  Bodhisattva  Asahga  professed  himself  to  be  of  the  school 
of  the  M.,  but  went  over  to  the  Mahayana. 

9.  SB.  VAJJIPUTTAKA  -  NB.  VATS!PUTRIYA  or  VASAPUTRIYA 
(W.  253,  256;  VB.  300,  301  ;  R.  182,  184,  186,  193;  Tar. 
271,  272,  273;    St.   J.   331,  335,   339,  342  =  lists  I-IV). 
They  are  said  to  be  a  branch  of  the  Sarvastivadins  in  W.  253, 
VB.  301,  St.  J.  335  (list  II),  while  according  to  the  southern 
Buddhist  tradition  the  relation  is  reversed;  and  they  are  said, 
R.  186,  to  be  a  principal  branch  of  the  Sthaviras  beside  the 
Sarvastivadins.     The  Kvu.  Co.,  however,  mentions  them  very 
slightly.     The  Pali  form  of  the  name  must  be  understood  as 
an  assimilation  to  the  name  of  the  Vajjiputtaka  monks,  the 
sectaries  of  VesalT. 

10.  SB.     DHAMMUTTARIYA  =  NB.     DHARMOTTARIYA     the 
Dharmakarikas  of  the  Nik.  S.,  are  said,  as  also  in  the  southern 


280  Appendix  B 

tradition,  to  be  a  branch  of  the  Vatsiputriya  (W.  253;  VB. 
300,  301;  R.  182,  186;  Tar.  271;  St.  J.  331,  335,339, 
342,  345  =  lists  I-V). 

11.  SB.  BHADRAYANIKA  =  BHADRAYANIYA  are  also  a  branch 
of  the  Vatsiputrlyas  (W.  253;  VB.  300,  301;  R.  186;  Tar. 
271,273;  St.  J.  335,  339,  342,  345  =  lists  II-V),  and  stand 
in  especially  close  relation  (R.  194)  to  the  Dharmottariyas 
from  whom,  according  to  St.  J.  331  (list  I),  they  had  taken 
their  rise.1     For  10  and  11,  R.  gives  the  common  designation 
Mahagiriya. 

12.  SB.  CHANDAGARIKA  =  NB.  SANNAGARIKA  '  those  from 
the  6  cities ',  also  a  branch  of  the  Vatslputriyas  (W.  254 ;  VB. 
300;    R.  186,  cf.   194;    Tar.  271;    St.  J.  335,  342  =  lists 
II,  IV)  and  are  but  slightly  distinguished  from  11  (W.  279). 
In  the  lists  I,  III,  V  in  St.  J.  337,  339,  345  there  appear, 
instead  of  them,  the  Abhayagirivasins. 

13.  SB.  SAMMITIYA  =  NB.   SAMMATIYA,  taking  their  rise 
like  10-12,  from  9  (W.  254;  R.  186;  Tar.  271,  272;  St.  J. 
331,  335,  339,  342,  345  =  lists  I-V).     According  to  R.  182 
they  are  also  called  (13a)  AVANTAKA  or  (13b)  KURUKULLAKA, 
and  Tar.  272  relates  that  according  to  the  view  of  the  Sarva- 
stivadins,  the  Kaurukullakas,  the  Avantakas,  and  the  Vatsi- 
putrlyas are  the  three  kinds  of  the  Sammatlyas.    They  are  the 
Mi-li  in  VB.   301.     They  must  have  been  a  widely  spread 
sect;    Ch.   2   mentions  them  repeatedly  as  a  school  of  the 
Hlnayana  (see  BEAL,  ii.  14,  44,  45,  186,  &c.) ;  according  to 
Ch.  3  (TAKAKUSU,  p.  xxiv)  they  fall  into  four  subdivisions 
and  are  spread  over  Western  India  and  in  Campa  (Cochin- 
China)  especially.    The  Kvu.  Co.  in  a  whole  series  of  passages 
is  occupied  with  their  doctrines.     On  those  see  R.  194. 

14.  SB.  SABBATTHAVADIN  =  NB.  SARVASTIVADIN.   Accord- 
ing  to  W.    253,  VB.  301,  St.  J.   339  (list  III)  and  342 
(list  IV),  they  are  also  called  (14a)  HETUVADA  or  HETUVIDYA, 
and  according  to  R.  182,  also  Muruntaka,  and  they  are  said 
(W.  253,  R.  182,  Tar.  271)  to  be,  beside  the  Vatsiputriyas, 

1  It  should  be  observed,  however,  that  in  the  list  I,  in  St.  J.,  each 
school  is  made  to  take  its  rise  from  the  one  mentioned  before  it. 


The  Buddhist  Sects  281 

one  of  the  principal  schools  of  the  Sthaviras.  The  statements 
of  the  Chinese  pilgrims  agree  with  this. 

Ch.  1  (BEAL,  i,  p.  Ixx)  states  that  the  Vinaya  of  the  S.  is 
held  to  be  particularly  correct  and  agrees  in  essentials  with 
that  which  is  observed  in  China.  Ch.  2  (BEAL,  i,  pp.  18,  19, 
49,  &c.,  ii,  pp.  182,  270,  &c.)  mentions  them  frequently  as 
a  branch  of  the  Hlnayana;  the  Bodhisattva  Vasubandhu 
(BEAL,  i.  226)  professed  himself  of  this  school.  According  to 
Ch.  3  (TAKAKUSU,  p.  xxiv)  the  S.  were  (beside  the  Sthaviras, 
Mahasamghikas  and  Sammatiyas)  one  of  the  four  principal 
Buddhist  schools;  they  themselves  fell  into  four  groups 
(Mulasarvastivadins,  Dharmaguptas,  Mahlsasakas  and  Ka- 
syaplyas),  and  had  spread  mostly  in  Magadha  and  Eastern 
India.  On  their  doctrines  see  W.  270  foil. ;  R.  184,  185,  190. 
See  also  TAKAKUSU,  J.P.T.S.  1904-1905,  pp.  67  foil. 

Here  I  will  mention  : — 

I4b.     SB.    VlBHAJJAVADIN  =  NB.   VlBHAJYAVADIN.        These 

are  mentioned  Mah.  5.  271.  It  is  said  here  that  the  Buddha 
professed  himself  belonging  to  the  V.  From  this  as  from  the 
relation  of  the  list  in  Tar.  271,  272  to  the  Ceylonese  list 
(Dip.  5.  45  foil. ;  Mah.  5.  6-9),  OLDENBEIIG  l  has  concluded 
that  V.  is  another  name  for  the  Theravadins.  In  the  Maha- 
bodhivamsa,  besides,  this  is  said  in  plain  terms.2  However, 
according  to  Tar.  272,  the  V.  are  reckoned  as  belonging  to  the 
Sarvastivadins,  beside  which  they  appear  in  R.  182  as  a 
Sthavira  school.  According  to  R.  186,  191,  Tar.  271  they 
embrace  the  sects  of  the  Mahlsasakas,  Kasyapiyas_,  Dharma- 
guptakas  and  (14C)  TAMRASATIYAS.  The  last  named  are  in 
Tar.  272,  274  counted  as  belonging  to  the  Sarvastivadins  and 
identified  with  the  Samkrantikas  and  (14d)  the  UTTAIIIYAS. 

If  we  resume  these  data  it  appears  that  Vibhajjavadin 
denotes  not  so  much  a  particular  sect  but  rather  a  philoso- 
phical tendency,  which,  for  the  Theravadins,  was  bound  up 

1  Vin.  Pit.,  i,  p.  xli  foil. 

2  P.  9517  :  therdnam  sambandhavacanattd  iheravado  ti,  vibhajjavddind 
munindena  desitattd  vibhajjavddo  ti  vuccati.    The  same  conclusion  may 
be  drawn  from  Mah.  Tlka,  948,  992. 


282  Appendix  B 

with   their   conception   of    orthodoxy l   and   to    which   their 
different  schools  thenceforward  laid  claim.2 

15.  SB.  DHAMMAGUTTIKA  =  NB.  DHARMAGUPTAKA.     They 
are,  as  we  have  just  seen,  reckoned  as  belonging  to  the  Vi- 
bhajyavadins  and  are  said  (W.  254;   VB.  300,  301;   St.  J. 
335,   339,   342,   345  =  lists  II-V)   to   be  a  branch   of   the 
Mahlsasaka.     On  their  doctrines  see  W.  283,  R.  192. 

16.  SB.  KASSAPIYA  =  NB.  KASYAPIYA,  belonging  also  to 
the  Vibhajyavadins.     They  took  their  rise  in  the  Sarvastiva- 
dins  (W.  255 ;  VB.  300,  301 ;  St.  J.  335,  340,  342,  346  = 
lists  II-V)  and  are  also  called  (16a)  SUVARSAKA   (W.  and 
St.    J.   as  above;    cf.    Tar.   271).      For  their  doctrines   see 
W.  283-284,  R.  193. 

17.  SB.  SAMKANTIKA  =  NB.  SAMKRANTIVADIN,  a  branch 
of  the  Sarvastivadins  (W.  255;   BV.  300,  301;  Tar.  271, 
272;   R.  193;    St.  J.  336,  340,  342  =  lists  II-IV).     Their 
other  name  is  said  to  be  Uttariya  (R.  183 ;  Tar.  273),  also 
Tamras'atlya  (see  under  14b).     In  W.  256,  St.  J.  336,  342  = 
lists  II-IV  they  are  identified  with  the  Sautrantika. 

18.  SB.  SUTTAVADA  =  NB.  SAUTRANTIKA.    The  accounts  of 
this  school  are  far  from  clear.     In  the  SB.  sources  no  further 
mention  is  made  of  it.     Its  identity  with  17  seems  also  to 
be  evident  from  R.  186  where  in  the  list  the  Sautrantikas  are 
introduced  as  a  branch  of  the  Sarvastivadins,  but  the  Sam- 
krantivadins  are  missing. 

In  Ch.  2  also  the  former  (see  BEAL,  i,  pp.  139,  226;  ii,  p.  302) 
are  mentioned,  but  not  the  latter.  Besides,  in  list  I,  St.  J. 
332  the  Sautrantika  evidently  appear  in  the  place  of  17,  being 
a  branch  of  the  Kasyapiya.  On  the  other  hand,  according 
to  St.  J.  340,  346  (lists  III,  V)  the  Sautrantika  would  seem  to 
be  identical  with  the  Prajnaptivadins  (5),  thus  would  belong 
not  to  the  Sthaviras  at  all  but  to  the  Mahasamghikas. 

1  Only  thus  can  we  understand  how  the  Buddha  himself  can  be 
called  a  Vibhajjavadi.    He  could  never  be  called  a  Theravadl. 

2  Cf.   Kathavatthu   (ed.   TAYLOR),   ii,  p.  578,  with   the   Co.,    pp. 
177-178. 


The  Buddhist  Sects  283 

It  seems  that  this  last  conclusion  may  also  be  drawn  from 
R.  186  (n.  1)  and  Tar.  271. 

Besides  these  eighteen  schools  the  SB.  sources  mention  the 
following  branches : — 

19.  SB.  HEMAVATA  =  NB.  HAIMAVATA.     See  above  la. 

20.  SB.  RAJAGIRIYA  =  NB.  RAJAGIRIYA.   They  are  counted 
(R.  186)  as  belonging  to  the  Mahasamghikas,  but  are  missing 
entirely  from  the  other  list,  R.  182.    In  Tar.  271,  too,  they  only 
appear  in  the  list  belonging  to  the  Mahasamghikas.     In  the 
Chinese  lists  in  St.  J.  they  appear  just  as  little  as  in  Ch.  1,  2,  3. 

21.  SB.  SIDDHATTHIKA.     They  are  not  mentioned  in  the 
NB.  lists. 

22.  SB.  PUBBASELIYA  =  NB.  PtJRVASAiLA.     It  is  clear  and 
beyond  doubt,  from  all  the  data,  that  these  are  most  closely 
related  to  the  Caityika.      They  are  mentioned  beside  them 
(R.    182,    186;    Tar.   271)    or   positively   in   place   of  them 
(W.  251,  252).    In  Ch.  2  they  are  mentioned  only  once  as  the 
Avarasaila  (BiAL,  ii,  p.  221);    Ch.  1  and  3  do  not  mention 
them.     In  St.  J.  331,  334,  338,  342, 345  (lists  I-V)  the  (22a) 
UTTARA£AILA  are  also  mentioned,  always  beside  the  Jetikas ;  in 
list  I,  VB.  300,  also  beside  the  Purvasailas ;   and  in  list  V, 
VB.  301  beside  the  Aparasailas. 

23.  SB.  APARASELIYA  =  NB.  APARA^AILA  or  AVARASAILA, 
introduced  as  a  school  of  the  Mahasamghikas  in  W.  254,  255  ; 
R.  182,  186;  Tar.  271. 

24.  SB.  VAJIRIYA  (Dip.  5.  54  =  Apararajagiriya).   They  are 
not  mentioned  in  the  northern  sources,  and  the  same  may  be 
said  of  the  23.  DHAMMARUCI  and  24.  SAGALIYA  which  are 
expressly  called  (Mah.  5.  13)  Ceylonese  sects.1     Lastly,  we 
may  refer  to  the  25.  VETULYA  mentioned  Mah.  36.  41,  111, 
also  KERN'S  ingenious  combination  by  which  they  are  brought 
into  relation  with  the  Mahay  ana. 


1  On  their  origin  see  the  interesting  passage  in  the  Mah.  TiTca, 
p.  115,  1.  31  foil.,  translated  by  TURNOUR,  Mah.,  p.  liii. 


284  Appendix  B 

The  different  opinions  as  to  the  relation  of  the  different  sects 
to  one  another  and  their  rise  of  one  from  another  may  be  given 
in  the  form  of  a  genealogical  tree. 

1.  VASUMITRA  (W.  249 ;  VB.  301)  divides  them  after  the 
separation  of  1  and  2  thus — 


: 

I 

1 

14  = 

1 

1 
14a    la  (19) 

1 
9 
1 

i 

1 

5    16  =  16a 

1 
17  =  18 

1 

10, 

11,  13,  12 

I          I 

(a)  4      3b      3a 

(b)  6 

(c)  5 

(d)  1     23    22 


2.  BHAVYA  (R.  182,  186)  represents  two  views  of  which 
the  one  is  based  on  the  same  division  as  in  Vasumitra's  list, 
but  the  second  on  an  original  division  into  three,  where  the 
Vibhajyavadins  form  the  third  group. 

I.  1  2 

I  I 


I  III 

1  =  la,  14,  14a,  14b,  9,  2,  3b,  4,  6,  7, 

10,  11,  13,  8,  15,  16a  =  16,  14^  22,  23 


II.  1  2  14b 

I  I 


14  9  2,22,23,  i 


|       |        F  20,  la,  7,  8,  16,  15,  14° 

14    18    13,  10,  11,  12 


3.  TARANATHA  (270-271)  gives  four  different  lists :  ^accord- 
ing to  the  Sthaviras;  II,  according  to  the  Mahasamghikas ; 
III,  according  to  the  Sammatiyas ;  and  IV,  according  to  the 
Sarvastivadins.  The  first  is  based  on  a  division  into  two 
principal  groups,  the  second  on  a  similar  division  into  three, 
the  third  and  fourth  on  a  division  into  four.  The  first  two 
lists  coincide  with  those  of  Bhavya. 


The  Buddhist  Sects  285 

I.  1  2 


I  I  II 

1,14,9,10,11,13,  2,4,3b,6.5, 

8,  15,  16a,  14*  7,  22,  23 


II. 


1 

1 

2 

1 

14* 

1 

14 

1 

~  1 

1 
9 

1 

1           1 
2,  22,  23, 
20,  la,  7, 
17,3 

1               1 
8,  16,  15,  14C 

1                   1 

14    18    13,10,11,12 


III. 

2 
1 

14 

1 

9 

1 

i      1 

2,  4,  3, 
6,5,7 

1 
14,  14b, 
14°,  16 

1 
6,15, 
,17 

1 
9, 

10,  11, 

1 
13 

without  branch 


IV. 


Jetavaniya  22,  23,  14,  16,  8,  15, 

Abhayagiriya        la,  3b,  5  6,  14C,  14b 

Mahaviharin 

4.  Of  the  Chinese  lists  in  St.  Julien  the  lists  II-V  are  in 
agreement  with  each  other  and  agree  with  Vasumitra's  list  with 
quite  trifling  variations.    List  I  is  connected  with  Bhavya's 
first  list  and  Vasumitra's  also  (in  BEAL),  but  makes  each  sect 
branch  off  from   the    preceding   one  within   the  two  great 
groups.     The  series  is  as  follows  : — 

1.  :  14  :  la  :  9  :  10  :  11  :  13  :  13al  :  15  :  16  :  18. 

2.  :  4  :  3  :  6  :  7  :  22  :  22a. 

5.  I-TSING  admits  four  principal  groups :    (a)    Mahasam- 
ghika  (with  seven  subdivisions) ;  (b)  Sthavira  (with  three  sub- 
divisions) ;  (c)  Sarvastivada  (with  Mulasarvastivada,  Dharma- 
gupta,  Mahlsasaka,  and  Kasyaplya  as  subdivisions) ;  and  (d) 
Sammitlya  (with  four  subdivisions).     Here,  too,  eighteen  is 
given  as  the  sum-total  of  the  schools. 

1  The  sect  of  the  Abhayagirivasins  is  inserted  between  13  and  13*. 


286  Appendix  B 

6.  According  to  Dip.  and  Mah.  the  relation  of  the  schools 
takes  this  shape  (cf.  list  I  of  Tar.) : — 


5,6,7 


As  regards  the  time  at  which  the  separate  schools  arose, 
according  to  the  Ceylonese  sources  the  first  schism  took  place 
100  years  after  the  Nirvana.  The  remaining  sects  must  have 
arisen  in  the  time  between  the  Second  and  Third  Council, 
i.  e.  between  100  A.B.  and  247  A.B.,  the  most  of  them  in  the 
second  century  after  the  Nirvana,  but  the  last  six  (19,  20,  21, 
22,  23,  24)  in  the  third  century,  the  Dhammarucis,  according 
to  the  Mah.  Tlka  at  the  time  of  Vattagamani,  the  Sagaliyas 
at  that  of  Mahasena.1 

Among  the  Northern  Buddhists  we  find  quite  similar 
traditions. 

According  to  VASUMITRA  (W.  249  foil.,  VB.  301)  the  sects 
4,  3b,  and  3a,  as  also  6  and  5,  were  formed  in  the  course  of  the 
second  century  A.B.,  that  is,  after  the  first  schism.  By  the 
end  of  the  second  century  7,  22,  and  22a  had  arisen.  In 
the  third  century  arose  14  (14a),  and  la,  later  9,  and  then  10, 
11,  13,  12,  also  8,  and  from  this  last  15.  Only  the  rise  of  17 
(  =  18)  is  placed  in  the  fourth  century.  These  dates  are  trans- 
ferred from  Vasumitra  into  the  Chinese  lists  (ST.  JULIEN). 

The  information  given  by  I-TSING  on  the  spread  of  the 
schools  at  his  time,  i.e.  towards  the  end  of  the  seventh  cen- 
tury A.D.,2  is  of  great  interest.  At  that  time  the  Sarvasti- 
vadins  prevailed  in  Magadha,  the  Sammitiyas  in  North-west 
India,  the  Sarvastivadins  in  the  North,  and  in  the  South  the 
Sthaviras.  In  the  East  the  four  great  groups,  i.e.  the  three 
above  mentioned  and  the  Mahasamghikas,  were  mixed. 

1  See  p.  283,  n.  1.  2  TAKAKUSU,  I-tsing,  pp.  8-9. 


The  Buddhist  Sects  287 

In  the  polemics  of  the  Kathavatthu  1  the  most  prominent 
schools,  according  to  the  commentator  Buddhaghosa,  are  the 
Theravadins,  the  Sammitlyas,  the  Mahimsasakas,  the  Sab- 
batthavadins,  and  the  Mahasamghikas.  But  more  frequently 
than  these  the  names  ANDHAKA  and  UTTARAPATHAKA  are 
employed,  in  which  Buddhaghosa  evidently  comprises  the 
South  Indian  and  North  Indian  sects. 

1  See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  J.R.A.S.  1891,  p.  413. 


APPENDIX   C 

CAMPAIGNS  OF  PANDUKABHAYA  (Mah.  10.  27  foil.) 
AND  DUTTHAGAMANI  (Mah.  25.  1  foil.) 

PANDUKABHAYA  takes  refuge  from  the  persecution  of  his 
uncles  in  Pandulagamaka. 

The  place  is  unknown.  In  our  inquiry,  therefore,  we  must 
take  as  starting-point  Pana,  where  he  gathers  together  his 
first  followers,  to  engage  in  battle  with  his  uncles. 

Pana  is  situated  near  Kasapabbata.  This  name  has  been, 
I  believe,  preserved  in  the  modern  Kahagala-gama,1  the  name 
of  a  village  situated  about  ten  miles  to  the  north  of  Kalu- 
wsewa  and  fifteen  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Anuradhapura. 

From  Pana  he  does  not  direct  his  march  northward  on  the 
then  capital  of  the  country  Upatissagama.2  He  is  not  strong 
enough  for  this.  Rather  he  is  obliged  to  follow  the  tactics  of 
all  rebels,  to  bring  first  the  border-districts,  the  paccantagawa, 
into  his  power.3  Therefore  he  marches  first  towards  the  south- 
east, more  or  less  along  the  line  which  Dutthagamani  followed, 
in  the  opposite  direction  in  his  march  against  Anuradhapura. 
Probably  the  old  military  road  ran  along  here.  So  he  comes 
first  into  the  district  of  Girikandasiva.  This  name  is,  we 
may  conjecture,  connected  with  that  of  Girilaka,  which  is 
mentioned  Mah.  25.  47  with  reference  to  Dutthagamani's 
campaign.  We  must  look  for  this  district  between  the  Kalu- 
waewa  and  the  Ritigala. 

1  On  the  map  of  Ceylon,  four  miles  to  an  inch. 

2  Upatissagama  is  situated  on  the  Gambhiranadi  (Mah.  7. 44)  to  the 
north  of  Anuradhapura.    Prom  here  to  the  Gambhiranadi  (Mah.  28.  7) 
is  a  distance  of  a  yojana  =  7-8  miles.     By  this  we  arrive  at  a  general 
notion  of  the  position  of  Upatisaagama. 

3  GEIGER,  Dip.  and  Mah..  pp.  39-40. 


Campaigns  of  PanduJcabhaya  and  Dutthagamani     289 

P.  now  marches  on  southward  of  Ritigala  to  the  spot 
where  the  Ambanganga  and  Mahawseliganga  unite.  To  the 
south  of  the  Mineri-tank  the  people  of  Girikandasiva  come 
up  with  him.  The  result  is  the  battle  of  Kalaha-nagara. 
This  is  the  Kalahagala1  of  the  present  day,  situated  7-8 
miles  distant  from  the  lake  mentioned.  Not  far  from  here  we 
must  look  for  the  scene  of  the  second  battle  of  Lohitavaha- 
khanda  (Mah.  10.  43). 

Although  the  victory  in  both  battles  is  attributed  to  P.,  he 
does  not  yet  venture  to  attack  Upatissagama  directly.  On 
the  contrary,  he  continues  his  march  in  the  direction  fol- 
lowed hitherto,  and  crosses  the  Mahawaeliganga  (pdragahgam, 
Mah.  10.  44). 

The  place  where  he  crossed  over  must  have  been  the 
Kacchaka-ford,  which  I  take  to  be  the  Mahagantota2  below 
the  spot  where  the  Ambanganga  flows  into  the  Mahawaeli- 
ganga. 

As  the  base  of  further  operations  P.  chooses  a  region  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Mahaganga  (Mahawseliganga),  the  Dola- 
mountain.  This  name  survives  in  that  of  the  village  Dola- 
galawela  3  in  the  Bintenne  district,  twenty  miles  to  the  north 
of  the  place  so  named,  which  is  now  called  Alutnuwara. 

During  the  four  years  that  P.  spends  near  the  Dola-moun- 
tain  he  is  said  to  have  been  making  preparations  for  the  really 
decisive  battle.  This  is  made  possible  for  him  by  the  fact 
that  he  has  now  the  whole  province  of  Rohana,  with  all  its 
resources,  behind  him.  By  his  position  he  has  also  the  key  to 
the  most  important  or  the  only  ford  of  the  Mahawseliganga. 

In  the  meantime  P/s  uncles  have  also  completed  their 
preparations.  They  march  against  the  rebels  and  entrench 
themselves  on  the  Dhumarakkha-mountain.  Its  position  is 
shown  clearly  by  Mah.  10.  53,  57,  58.  We  must  look  for  it 

1  See  Census  of  Ceylon,  1901,  iv,  p.  468. 

2  Itinerary  of  Roads  in  Ceylon,  i  (1909),  p.  39,  no.  68. 

3  Census,    1901,    iv,    p.   262.      The    Dolukanda    which    PARKER 
(Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  192)  mentions  cannot  be  the  Dola-pabbata  of  the 
Mah.,  since  it  is  situated  (PARKER,  in  a  letter  dated  July  17, 1910) 
about  ten  miles  to  the  north  of  Kurunsegala. 

U 


290  Appendix  C 

on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mahawseliganga,  not  far  from  the 
Kacchaka-ford.  The  chief  object  of  the  uncles  was  evidently 
to  prevent  P.  from  crossing-  the  river. 

However,  to  be  beforehand  with  them,  P.  risks  the  crossing. 
He  defeats  the  enemy  in  flight,  and  takes  possession  of  their 
camp.  He  then  proceeds  on  the  direct  road  to  the  capital. 

On  the  Arittha-pabbata  (Ritigala)  he  pitches  an  entrenched 
camp  which  is  to  serve  as  a  base  for  his  final  operations.  The 
uncles  once  more  march  against  him  with  fresh  troops. 
The  decisive  battle  takes  place  near  Labu-gamaka  (Mah.  10. 
72),  the  Labunoruwa 1  of  the  present  day,  on  the  north-west 
slope  of  the  Ritigala.  P.  carries  off  the  victory. 

The  road  to  the  capital  now  lies  open  to  him.  He  takes 
possession  of  it  and  afterwards,  having  assumed  sole  sove- 
reignty, he  removes  the  royal  residence  to  Anuradhapura. 


We  see  that  the  information  given  by  the  Mahavamsa  on 
Pandukabhaya's  campaigns,  if  rightly  understood,  is  quite 
adequate.  The  military  measures  taken  seem  thoroughly 
methodical ;  their  aim  can  be  clearly  understood. 

On  quite  similar  lines  is  the  advance  of  Dutthagamani  on 
Anuradhapura,  a  proof  that  we  have  to  do  in  both  cases  with 
old  connecting  roads  between  the  regions  left  and  right  of  the 
Mahawaliganga.  P.  was  obliged  to  secure  these  in  order  to 
carry  out  successfully  his  operations  against  Upatissagama. 
D.  used  them  for  bringing  up  his  troops. 

Dutthagamani  starts  (Mah.  25.  5)  from  Mahagama  in 
Rohana,  the  site  of  which  is  indicated  by  the  ruins  of  Tissa- 
Maharama  in  the  South  Province,  sixteen  miles  north-east 
of  Hambantota.  Taking  a  northerly  direction,  he  marches 
through  Guttahalaka,2  now  Buttala,  towards  Mahiyangana. 
This,  according  to  the  local  tradition,  is  the  modern  Bintenne 
or  Alutnuwara. 

1  Census,  1901,  iv,  p.  464. 

8  The  evidence  for  this  site  is  chiefly  Mah.  24.  17.  D.  stations  out- 
posts in  G.  on  the  look-out  for  his  brother  Tissa,  whose  advance  from 
Dighavapi  is  expected  here. 


Campaigns  of  PanduMbhaya  and  Dutthagamani     291 

D.  is  here  on  the  bank  of  the  Mahawseliganga.  Now  follows 
the  enumeration  of  a  whole  series  of  forts  which  were  occupied 
by  Damilas  and  taken  by  D. 

Among  these,  too,  appears  Kaccha-tittha  (now  Mahagan- 
tota),  to  take  which  required  a  four  months'  siege  (Mah. 
25.  12).  I  think,  therefore,  that  the  places  mentioned  are 
mere  frontier-outposts  or  forts  which  had  been  placed  along 
the  Mahawseliganga l  from  the  bend  of  the  river  above 
Bintenne  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mouth.  The  indi- 
vidual names  cannot  now  be  settled. 

The  remains  of  the  vanquished  Damila-divisions  retreat 
towards  Vijita-nagara.  It  still  seems  to  me  most  probable  that 
we  should  look  for  this  city  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kalu- 
wsewa,  where  the  Vijitapura-vihara  is  now  situated,  and  ruins 
in  the  jungle  testify  to  the  former  existence  of  a  larger 
settlement.2 

In  all  probability  D.  will  have  crossed  the  Mahaganga  near 
Kacchaka-tittha.  On  the  advance  against  Vijita  he  first 
followed  the  same  road  that  Pandukabhaya  used  when  he 
marched  from  the  Kasa-pabbata  to  the  Dola-pabbata.  It 
must  have  run  somewhere  between  Sigiri  and  the  Mineri- 
tank. 

The  siege  and  storming  of  Vijita  are  described  with  great 
clearness  and  vivacity.  The  further  stations,  Girilaka,  Mahe- 
la-nagara,  and  Kasa-pabbata  lay  far  along  the  road  which 
leads  from  Dambul  to  Anuradhapura.  On  the  Kasa-pabbata 
D.  entrenched  himself,  evidently  in  order  to  await  in  a  favour- 
able position  his  adversary  Elara.  Here  again  in  fact  it  comes 
to  a  decisive  battle,  the  fortunate  issue  of  which  opens  to  .D. 
the  road  to  the  capital.  The  conquered  foe  was  pursued  up 
to  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Anuradhapura.  In  a  last  attempt 
to  bring  the  fleeing  troops  to  a  halt  beneath  the  walls  of  the 
city  Elara  falls  by  the  hand  of  D.  in  heroic  single  combat. 

1  Cf.  Mah.  25.  19,  where  this  seems  to  be  plainly  said. 

2  BURROWS,   Buried  Cities  of  Ceylon,  p.  75.    PARKER  certainly 
(Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  237  foil.)  looks  for  Vijita  in  the  region  of  the  later 
Polonnaruwa. 

u  2 


APPENDIX  D 

LIST   OF   PALI   TERMS    OCCURRING   IN   THE 
TRANSLATION 

1.  ACARIYA,  <  teacher,  master.'     See  p.  31,  n.  4. 

2.  AKAHANT.     Literally  ( able,  worthy ',  a  person  who  has 
reached  the  ideal.    In  an  Arahant  the  dsavd,  the  deadly  drugs 
of  delusion,  are  brought  to  an  end ;  he  is  no  longer  subject  to 
re-birth,  but  lives  in  Nirvana,  the   final   liberation.     RHYS 
DAVIDS,  Buddhism,  110;  Early  Buddhism,  72-74. 

3.  ARAMA,   'park,   garden.'     Designation   of  a   Buddhist 
convent  =  vihdra,  CHILDERS,  Pali  Dictionary,  s.v. 

4.  ASAVA.     The  term  is  hardly  translatable.     It  has  been 
first  explained  by  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues,  i,  p.  92,  ii,  p.  28 
(=  SBB.  ii,  iii).     According  to  Buddhaghosa,  Asl.  4815,  well- 
matured  spirituous  liquors  are  called  dsavd.     Jat.  IV.  22219  we 
read :  dsavo  tdta  lokasmim  surd  ndma  pavuccati.    The  underlying 
idea  is,  therefore,  that  of  'overwhelming  intoxication',  not 
that  of  a  deadly  flood.     There  are  four  dsavd  :  (1)  kdma  '  lust, 
desire ',  (2)  bhava  '  (desire  of  a  future)  existence ',  (3)  avijjd 
'  ignorance  (of  the  four  holy  truths) ',  and  (4)  ditthi  f  false 
belief.     D.  I.  84;  II.  81 ;  M.  I.  7,  &c.,  khmdsava  '  one  who 
has  overcome  the  asavas  ',  and  andsava  '  one  who  is  free  from 
the  asavas ',  are  epithets  of  the  arahant. 

5.  BHIKKHU,  BHIKKHUNI,  mendicant  monk,  nun.    Member 
of  the  Buddhist  order. 

6.  BUDDHA  (Sambuddha,  Sammd-Sambuddha  convey  the  same 
notion  in  a  heightened  degree)  denotes  a  being  who  by  his 
own  force  has  attained  to  possession  of  the  highest  knowledge. 
He  is  neither  man  nor  god.     He  is  able  to  perform  certain 
wonders  in  accord  with  the  laws  of  nature.     In  an  endless 


List  of  Pali  Terms  293 

series  of  existences  the  Buddha  prepares  himself  for  his  state 
of  Buddhahood.  During-  the  whole  of  this  time  he  is  called  a 
bodhisatta  (Skt.  bodhisattia)  till  in  his  last  existence  as  a  man — 
the  last  but  one  he  generally  spends  in  a  heaven  of  the  gods — 
he  attains  to  knowledge  (bodfti,  sambodhi,  abhisambodhi).  In 
the  ancient  texts  sambodhi  is  always  the  insight  of  an  Arahant.1 
Since  this  event  comes  to  pass  for  the  historical  Buddha  under 
an  assattha  tree  (Ficus  religiosa),  this  is  the  sacred  tree  of  the 
Buddhists,  and  the  '  Bodhi-tree '  (Sinh.  boga/ia)  is  not  lacking 
in  any  Buddhist  sanctuary  in  Ceylon. 

A  Paccekabuddha  has  also  reached  Nirvana  (see  below)  by 
his  own  force,  but  does  not  come  forward  as  a  teacher.  The 
historical  Buddha  is  called,  after  his  family,  Gotama  Buddha 
or  Sakyamuni, '  the  sage  of  the  house  of  the  Sakyas.'  See 
KERN,  p.  62  foil. 

7.  CETIYA.     See  under  THUPA. 

8.  DEVATA,  divinity,  genius,  particularly  applied  to  the  spirits 
which,  according  to  popular  belief,  inhabit  trees,  wells,  hills, 
and  in  fact  every  place.     In  Mah.  28.  6  a  devatd  of  the  royal 
parasol  is  mentioned. 

9.  DHAMMA,  truth,  religion,  the  sum-total  of  Buddhist  doc- 
trine.     Opposed   to  vinaya,  ( Discipline,  the  monastic  rule/ 
Dhamma  in  the  more  restricted  sense  denotes  the  second  part 
of  the  tipitaka  (which  see). 

10.  KARISA,  first  a  measure  of  capacity ;  in  another  sense 
an  area  of  about  4  acres,  i.e.  as  much  ground  as  can  be  sown 
with  a  karisa  of  seed-corn.     See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Ancient  Coins 
and  Measures  of  Ceylon,  p.  18. 

11.  KHATTIYA  (Skt.  ksatriya),  the  class  of  nobles  or  war- 
riors.    This  was  one  of   the   four  ancient  vannd,  or   social 
grades.     The  Buddhists  and  Jainas  put  them  first  in  the  list, 
the  Brahmans  put  themselves  first.     The  Khattiyas  have  been 
sometimes  called  a  caste ;  but  they  never  formed  an  organized 
community,  like  the  modern  castes,  with  connubium  and  com- 
mensality  between  all  Khattiyas.     See  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dia- 
logues, i.  96-107;  Buddhist  India,  52  ff. 

1  RHYS  DAVIDS,  Dialogues,  i,  pp.  190-192. 


294  Appendix  D 

12.  MANTA,  formula,  sacred  formula,  charm,  spell,  designa- 
tion of  the  Vedic  hymns.     Cf.  Mah.  5.  109. 

13.  NAGA,    designation    of    supernatural    beings,    snake- 
demons,  sometimes  represented  in  human  form  with  a  snake's 
hood  in  the  neck,  sometimes  as  mixed  forms,  half  man  half 
snake.     They  are  distinguished  by  devout  reverence  toward 
the  Buddha.     Their  sworn  enemies  are  the  Garuda,  winged 
beings  resembling  the  griffin  (cf.  p.  129,  n.  4).     See  GRUN- 
WEDEL,  BuddJiist.  Kunstj  p.  42  foil. 

14.  NIBBA.NA  (Skt.  nirvana).    One  of  the  terms  for  Arahant- 
ship.     At  Samyutta  IV.  251,  261  it  is  defined  as  the  destruc- 
tion (in  the  heart)  of  rdga,  dosa,  and  moha  (lusty  illwill,  and 
stupidity);   and  is  stated  to  be  attainable  by  the  eightfold 
Path.     See  also  DE  LA  VALL^E  POUSSIN,  Bouddhisme,  p.  57  ff. 

15.  PABBAJJA.  Literally '  going  forth ';  the  technical  term  for 
giving  up  the  household  life  and  becoming  a  religieux,  entering 
an  order.     The  rules  for  the  reception  of  candidates  for  mem- 
bership varied  in  the  various  orders.     The  Buddhist  rules  are 
now  translated  by  RHYS  DAVIDS  and  H.  OLDENBERG,  Vinaya 
Texts,  vol.  i.     When  a  candidate  is  first  admitted  he  is  called 
a  Sdmanera,  novice. 

16.  PACCEKABUDDHA.     See  under  BUDDHA. 

17.  PARIVENA,   monk's   cell,    the   private   dwelling    of   a 
bhikkhu  within  the  monastery. 

18.  PAVARANA,  f  invitation,'  name  of  a  festival  held  by  the 
bhikkhus  at  the  close  of  the  vassa,  i.e.  the  rainy  season,  spent 
in  the  monastery.     See  Vinaya  Texts,  i,  pp.  335-353. 

19.  SAMANA,  '  ascetic/  designation  of  the  Buddhist  priests 
as  opposed  to  the  Brahmana. 

20.  SAMANERA.     See  under  PABBAJJA. 

21.  SAMGHATTHERA.     See  under  THERA. 

22.  SIJDDA  (Skt.  Sudra)j  a  man  of  the  fourth,  non-Aryan 
caste. 


List  of  Pali  Terms  295 

23.  TALA.     Lit.    'palm/    a    measure    of    length.     RHYS 
DAVIDS,  Ancient  Coins,  &c.,  p.  18. 

24.  TATHAGATA,  one  of  the  terms  of  veneration  applied  to 
the  Buddhas.     The  Buddha  usually  speaks  of  himself  thus. 
The  meaning-  is  a  matter  of  controversy.     The  native  com- 
mentators explain   the  word  in  quite  different  ways.     See 
BURNOUF,  Introduction  a  thistoire  du  Bouddhisme  indien,  p.  75. 

25.  THERA,   THERI    (Skt.   stkavira,  °rd),  term   of   respect 
applied  to  monks  and  nuns,  especially  to  those  of  venerable 
age.     SamgJiattfiera  is  the  denotion  of  the  senior  priest  in  any 
assembly  of   bhikkhus,  or   in    the  whole   community.     See 
J.P.T.S.  1908,  p.  19. 

26.  THUPA   (Skt.    8/upa,   tope),   name    of    edifices    which 
serve  as  receptacle  for  a  relic  or  as  monument.     They  are 
hemispherical    or    bell-shaped,    and    rest    upon    a    base    of 
three  concentric  stories  which  form  ambulatories  round  the 
tope  ;    they  sustain  a  cubical  erection,  the  so-called  tee  from 
which  rises  the  spire  (chatta)  which  crowns  the  whole.     The 
relic-chamber  (dkcttvgabbka,  whence  the  name  '  Dagaba ',  used 
in  Ceylon  for  the  whole  edifice)  is   in   the  interior,  below 
the  tee. 

The  expression  cetiya  (Skt.  caitya),  originally  the  most 
general  term  for  '  sanctuary ' — a  tree,  too,  can  be  a  cetiya — is 
used  in  the  Mah.  mostly  as  a  synonym  for  thupa.  Cf., 
for  instance,  MaJidcetiya  or  Mahdthupa  as  the  name  of  the 
Ruwanwffili-Dagaba  in  Anuradhapura. 

There  is  frequent  mention  in  the  Mah.  of  a  thupaghara 
or  cetiyaghara,  '  house  of  the  thupa  or  cetiya/ 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  from  Mah.  31.  29,  that  sometimes 
a  sort  of  roof  or  temple  was  built  over  the  tope.  In  Anuradha- 
pura the  Thuparama-Dagaba  is  surrounded  by  four  concentric 
rows  of  pillars.  It  appears  as  if  the  two  inner  rows,  where 
the  capitals  of  the  pillars  have  tenons,  were  intended  to  bear 
the  roof  of  a  thupaghara.  PARKER  (Ancient  Ceylon,  p.  270) 
considers  it  altogether  possible,  differing  in  this  from  SMITHER 
(Anurddhapura,  p.  7).  Of  course  such  temples  could  only  be 


296  Appendix  D 

constructed  over  the  smaller  tliupas,  and,  as  far  as  I  can  see, 
are  only  mentioned  in  this  case.  If  mention  is  made  of  a 
bodhighara,  i.e.  of  a  temple  for  the  bodhi-tree,  then  it  is 
naturally  only  a  question  of  building-  round  and  not  over  the 
sacred  tree. 

27.  TIPITAKA  (Skt.   tripitaka).     Lit.  '  three  baskets/   col- 
lective name  for  the  canonical  scriptures  of  the  Buddhists. 
They  fall  into  three  main  divisions,  Vinaya-pitaka,  Sutta-p. 
(or  Dhamma),  and  Abhidhamma-p.  See  CHILDERS,  s.v.;  KERN, 
p.  1  foil. 

28.  UPASAMPADA,  the  solemn  ordination  of  the  monk  who 
is  a  novice  until  that  time,  by  a  chapter  of  the  order ;  the 
higher  consecration  of  the  priesthood.     See  CHILDERS,  s.  v. ; 
KERN,  p.  77  foil. ;  SP.  HARDY,  Eastern  Monac/iism,  p.  44  foil. 

29.  UPOSATHA  (Skt.  upavasatha).     The   Buddhist  sabbath 
which  is  considered  a  holy  day  both  for  priests  and  laymen. 
It  occurs  four  times  in  the  month  :  on  the  full-  and  new-moon 
day,  and  on  the  eighth  day  following  full-  and  new-moon.    On 
two  of  these  four  days  the  recitation  of  the  Patimokkha-pre- 
cepts  (pdtimokkhuddesa)  takes  place,  i.e.  the  priestly  ceremony 
of  confession,  in  which  every  member  of  the  order  is  to  acknow- 
ledge the  faults  he  has  committed.     CHILDERS,  s.v.;  KERN, 
p.  99. 

Uposathdgdrctj  or  uposathaghara,  is  a  building  belonging 
to  the  monastery  used  for  the  performance  of  the  uposatha 
ceremonies. 

30.  VEDI  or  VEDIKA  (Skt.  the  same),  means  first  'terrace, 
altar'.    When  in  Mah.  36.  52  a,pd$dnavedl  around  the  bodhi- 
tree  is  mentioned,  it  means  a  stone  terrace,  on  which  such 
sacred  trees  usually  stand.     Cf.  in  the  same  sense  sildvedl, 
Mah.  36.  103. 

Further,  this  word  has  the  sense  of  '  terrace  with  balustrade '. 
It  is  to  be  understood  thus  in  D.  II.  pp.  182-183  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  Sudassana's  palace.  Exactly  in  the  same  manner, 
D.  II.  pp.  181-182,  by  sopdna  a  'staircase  with  balustrade '  is 
meant,  and  in  both  passages  an  accurate  description  follows, 


List  of  Pali  Terms  297 

not  of  the  terrace  or  of  the  staircase,  but  especially  of  the 
rail. 

When  a  mnddhavedl  and  pddavedl  of  a  thupa  are  mentioned 
(Mah.  35.  2)  the  former  is  the  so-called  tee,  the  latter  the 
storied  base  (see  no.  26).  Railings  in.  relief  are  frequently 
added  to  both.  SMITHER,  p.  52,  27.  Finally  the  meaning 
1  balustrade,  railing '  supersedes  the  others.  Thus  by  the  coral- 
vedikas  to  the  kiitagdra,  the  ( window-chambers '  of  the  Loha- 
pasada,  the  parapet-balustrade  to  the  windows  is  evidently 
meant.  Cf.  vedikd-vdtapdna,  C.V.  VI.  2.  2.  Plainly  in  the 
same  way  vedikd,  C.V.  V.  14.  2,  means  a  balustrade.  See 
S.B.E.  xx,  p.  104,  n.  3;  p.  162,  n.  4. 

31.  VESSA  (Skt.  vaifya),  a  man  of  the  third  social  grade. 

32.  VIHARA,  dwelling,  habitation  for  gods  as  also  for  monks, 
therefore  temple  or  convent  (FERGUSSON,  History  of  Indian  and 
Eastern  Architecture,  1910,  i,  p.  170).     In  the  Mah.  the  latter 
meaning  prevails. 

33.  YAKKHA  (f.  yakkhini-,  Skt.  yaksa,  yaksim),  designation 
of  certain   supernatural   beings  who  are   under  the  rule  of 
Vessavana  (Skt.  Vaisravana,  name  of  the  god  Kubera).     In 
the  Mah.  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Ceylon  are  frequently 
called  Yakkha. 

34.  YOJANA,  a  measure  of  length.    According  to  the  system 
of  the  Abhidhanappadipika  196,  1  yojana  is  =  4  gdvuta  =  80 
usabha  =  20  yatthi  =  7  ratana  (or  hattha  fell')  =  2  vidatthi 
(span)  =12  angula.     According   to  RHYS  DAVIDS,   Ancient 
Coins  &c.,  p.  15  foil.,  the  native  tables  of  linear  measures  make 
the  yojana  between  12  and  12^  miles,  but  in  actual  practice 
it  must  have  been  reckoned  as  7-8  miles. 


INDEXES 

(The  numbers  refer  to  pages  and  notes) 

A.     LIST  OF  GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  TOPO- 
GRAPHICAL NAMES 


Acchagallaka-vihara,  142.  3 
Anurarama,  258.  1 
Anotatta-lake,  8.  5 
Aparantaka,  85.  1 
Abhayagiri-vihara,  235.  1 ;  269.  1 
Abhaya-vapi,  74.  3 
Ambatthakola,  188.  1 
Ambatitthaka,  170.  8 
Ambatthala,  90.  1  ;  243.  5  ;  264.  3 
Arittha-pabbata,  72.  3 
Alasanda,  194.  3 
Avanti,  21.  2 

Akasa-cetiya,  148.  4 

Isipatana,  193^  3 
Issarasamanarama,  133.  2  ;  137.  3 

Ujjeni,  29.  1 
Uttara  Kuru,  3.  4 
Upatissa-gama,  58.  4 
Uruvela  in  India,  2.  2 
Uruvela  in  Ceylon,  189.  2 

Kacchaka-tittha,  72.  2 

Kadamba-nadi,  58.  3 

Kapilavatthu,  11.  1 

Kappukandara-nadI,  165.  5 

Karinda-nadi,  221.  1 

Kalaha-nagara,  71.  1 

KalyanT,  7.  4 

Kasmira,  82.  2 

Kajara-gama.  132.  1 

Kalavapi,  58.  5  ;  247.  3 

Kasa-pabbata,  70.  1 

Kasi,  36.  1 

Kukkutarama,  36.  5 

Kusavati,  10.  3 

Kusinara,  14.2  (see  J.R.A.S.  1902, 

p.  139  foil. ;  1903,  p.  367  foil. 
Kolambahalaka,  °balaka,  176,  2 
Kosambi,  21.2  (see  J.R.A.S.  1903, 

p.  583;  1904,  p.  249) 


Ganga  =  Mahaganga 
Gandhara,  82.  2 
Gambhira-nadi,  58.  4 
Gamani-vapi,  75.  1 
Giri-dipa,  4.  4 
Giribbaja,  36.  2 
Guttahalaka,  165.  3 
Gotha-samudda,  150.  2 
Gona-gamaka,  64.  1 
Gona-nadi,  247.  3 

Cittala-pabbata,  148.  2 
Culanganiyapitthi,  165.  5 
Cetiya-pabbata,'  114.  3 
Cola,  143.  4 

Jambukola,  79.  1 
Jambudlpa,  15.  5 
Javamala-tittha,  165.  5 
Jetavana  in  India,  6.  1 
Jetavanarama  in  Ceylon;  235.  1 

269.  1 
Jotivana,  77.  1 

Tamalitti,  80.  4 
Tissamahavihara,  138.  3 
Tissa-vapi,  247.  4 
Tissa-vapi,  248.  4 

Thuparama,  9.  2  ;  230,  2 

Dakkhinavihara,  246,  2 
Dakkhinagiri,  88.  3 
Dighathupa,  230.  3 
Dighavapi,  8.  1 
Duratissa-vapi,  229.  2  ;  248.  5 
Dola-pabbata,  71.  3 
Dvaramanclala,  68.  1 

Dhumarakkha-pabbata,  72.  1 

Nandana-vana,  77. 1 
Naga-catukka,  94.  1 


Indexes 


299 


Nagadipa,  6.  2 
Nivatta-cetiya,  97.  3 

Pathamacetiya,  95.  2 
Payaga,  209.  1 
Pacinadipa,  261.  4 
Pataliputta,  22.  5 
Pava,  21.  2 
Paveyyaka,  21.  2 
Pupphapura,  22.  5 
Pulinda,  60.  5 
Peli-vapi,  190. 1 

Baranasi,  108. 1 
Bodhimanda-vihara,  194.  5 

Manisomarama,  235.  3 
Manihira,  270.  4 
Madda,  62.  1 
Madhura,  59.  1_ 
Maricavatti-vihara,  179.  2 
Malaya,  60.  4 
Mahakandara-nadi,  63.  1 
Mahagaiiga,  3.  9;  71.  3 
Mahagama,  146.  5 
Mahatittha,  60.  1 
Mahamegka-vana,  8.  2  ;  77.  1 
Maharattha,  85.  3 
Mahavana,  20.  2 
Mahiyangana,  3.  9  ;  170.  7 
Mahisamandala,  84.  5 
Mithila,  10.' 3 
Missaka-pabbata,  89.  3 


Yatthalaya-vihara,  146.  3 
Yon'a,  85.  5 

Rajatalena-vihara,  246.  3 
Rattamala-kandaka,  271.  7 
Rajagaha,  10.  3 
Rohana,  146.  2 

Lanka,_3.  7 
Labugamaka,  73.  2 

Vanga,  51.  1 

Vanavasin,  °vasaka,  84.  7 

Vijita-pura,  (-nagara),  58. 5 ;  171.3 

Vinjha,  128.  4 ;  194.4 

Vedisa,  88.  4 

Veluvana,  98.  1 

Vesali,  19.  2  (see  J.R.A.S.  1903, 

p.  583) 
Vessagiri-vihara,  137.  3 

Sineru,  213.  1 
Silasobbha-kandaka,  236.  1 
Sllakuta,  90.  l' ' 
Supparaka,  54.  3 
Sumanakuta,  5.  1 
Suvannabhumi,  86.  2 
Sonijagiri,  238.  1 
Somarama,  235.  3 
Soreyya,  21.  5 

Huvaca-kannika,  245.  1 


B.     LIST  OF  TERMS  EXPLAINED  IN  THE  NOTES 


anagamin,  89.  6  ;  93.  4 
antimavatthu,  270.  3 
abhinna,  20. 1 ;  92.  1 
ariya,  35.  3 
arupabhava,  °loka,  25.  2 

agataphala,  93.  4 
acariya,  31.  4 
acariyavada,  26. 1 
ajira,  246.  2 
alinda,  246,  2 

iriyapatha,  17.  1 

udana,_130.  4 
upajjhaya,  31.  4 
upanissaya,  29.  3 
upasana,  164.  1 
ubbahika,  23.  3 
ubhato-samgha,  223.  4 


kammatthana,  39.  3 
kammavaca,  44.  1 
kasina,  45.  1 
kahapana,  20.  3 
kamabhava,  °loka,  25.  2 
kulumbana,  257.  5 
kulupaga,  °ka,  201.  2 

khinasava,  35.  3 
garula,  129.  4 

cankama,  45.  4 
caturassacaya,  219.  1 

jatila,  3.  2 
tadin,  102.  2 

thupika,  210.  2 
theravada,  26.  1 ;  49.  2 


300 


Indexes 


dasasila,  122.  3 

dhanu,  248.  3 
dhamma,  17.  4 
dhammasamgaha,  16.  1 
dhammasamgiti,  16.  1 
dhammabhisamaya,  4.  6 

naji,  201.  1 
nigantha,  75.  2 
nirodha,  254.  1 
nissita,  264.  7 

paccaya,  15.  7 
paticcakamma,  48.  3 
paribhogadhatu,  109.  2 
parissavana,  251.  2 
pasada,  1.  1 
pamanga,  79.  7 
puthujjana,  35.  3 
pupphadhana,  202.  2 

bala,  dasa  balani,  14.  4 
bhava,  25.  2 

marumba,  191.  5 
malaka,  99.  4 
muddhavedi,  219.  1 ;  220.  3 


yatthimadhuka,  224.  5 
yamaka  patihariya,  120.  1 

ratanattaya,  33.  2 
rupabhava,  °loka,  25.  2 

vatamsa,  79.  6 
vinaya,  17.  4 
vibhajjavada,  49.  2 
vetulya,  259.  2 
vedi,  vedika,  220.  2 

samvega,  1.  1 
sakadagamin,  98.  2 
samkhara,  samkhata,  25.  3 
saccakiriya,  125.  3 
samapatti,  37.  1 
sarana,  4.  6  ;  7.  2 
sariradhatu,  109.  2 
salaka,  salakagga,  112.  6 
saraanaka  parikkhara,  22.  1 
sila,  4.  6 ;  7.  3  ;  122.  3 
supanna,  94.  3  ;  129.  4 
sekha,  16.  3  _ 
sotapatti,  sotapanna,  5.  2 

hatthipakara,  228.  2 


ADDENDA 

v.  132.  The  meaning  is  as  follows  :  The  words  gacchdti  are  a  polite 
form  of  refusing  a  mendicant  friar:  'go  on  (to  the  next  house).' 
Therefore  Siggava  could  say  that  he  had  received  something  (i.  e. 
a  polite  answer),  without  telling  a  lie.  Formerly  he  had  received 
nothing  at  all,  no  alms,  nor  even  an  answer,  but  had  been  entirely 
disregarded.  See  Milinda-panha  8  ;  RHYS  DAVIDS,  S.B.E.  xxxv,  p.  15, 
and  note. 

xxix.  40.  Translate :  From  his  dwelling-place,  the  Vattaniya 
(arama)  in  the  Vinjha  forest  hills  came  the  them  Uttara  &c. 


PALI  TEXT  SOCIETY 
Translation  Series. 

THE  Pali  Text  Society  having-  published  almost  all  the 
original  texts  of  the  canonical  Pali  scriptures  has  now  under- 
taken a  series  of  translations  in  order  to  make  these  important 
historical  texts  better  known.  The  series  will  include  versions 
of  texts  not  in  the  Canon,  if  such  texts  are  either  themselves 
of  historical  importance  or  throw  light  on  the  interpretation 
or  history  of  the  texts  or  of  the  doctrine  they  contain. 

At  present  there  have  appeared  the  following  : — 

1.  Psalms  of  the  Early  Buddhists,  Part  I,  PSALMS  OF 
THE  SISTERS,  translated  from  the  Then-gdtM.  By  Mrs. 
Rhys  Davids,  M.A.,  Lecturer  on  Indian  Philosophy  at 
Manchester  University,  Fellow  of  University  College,  London. 
Price  5s.  net. 

'  We  conclude  with  best  thanks  to  Mrs.  Rhys  Davids  for  the  capital 
work  she  has  given  us  ...  and  the  hope  that  the  psalms  of  the 
brethren  will  follow  soon.' — Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society. 

'Are  of  much  interest  as  a  contribution  to  the  history  of  women 
under  Monasticism  and  as  an  expression  of  the  Buddhist  view  of 
life.'— The  Times. 

1  Next  to  her  learned  husband,  the  distinguished  Professor  of  Com- 
parative Religion  at  the  Manchester  University,  there  is  probably 
no  more  authoritative  exponent  of  Pali  Buddhistic  literature  in  this 
country  than  Mrs.  Rhys  Davids,  the  author  of  this  interesting  work, 
issued  in  an  elegant  and  attractive  form  by  the  Pali  Text  Society.' — 
The  Manchester  Guardian. 

1  The  verses  give  us  many  exceedingly  interesting  glimpses  of  the 
religious  spirit  of  the  East  in  its  redeeming  work.  .  .  .  The  present 
work  is  intended  for  serious  students,  and  not  for  those  in  search 
of  simplified  versions  of  the  world's  religions.  It  is  published  for  the 
Pali  Text  Society,  and  will  be  welcomed  by  those  who  are  interested 
in  the  East.'— The  Daily  News. 


'  A  baffling  sense  of  the  futility  of  much  that  we  so  desperately 
busy  ourselves  about  comes  into  the  mind  in  reading  these  pages. 
A  strange  and  elusive  influence  seems  to  haunt  them— an  influence 
that  does  not  age  nor  change.  It  speaks  with  a  voice  that  echoes  in 
many  a  volume  of  modern  poetry.  We  read,  and  seem  to  be  striving 
in  some  inexplicable  way  to  remember,  and  to  be  groping  after  the 
forgotten  vicissitudes  of  our  own  countless  lives.' — The  Westminster 
Gazette. 

'Mrs.  Rhys  Davids's  rendering  is  masterly— in  places  it  reflects 
what  seems  to  be  very  fine  poetry — and  her  notes  and  introduction 
sustain  her  high  reputation  as  a  scholar.' — The  New  York  Nation. 

'  Dass  der  Ubersetzerin  die  vortrefflichsten  Hilfsmittel  der  Palilexi- 
kographie  zur  Hand  sind,  wird  der  fachkundige  Leser  an  mehr  als 
einer  Stelle  bemerken.  Weit  aber  uber  den  Kreis  der  Fachgenossen 
hinaus  wird  dieses  Buch  geschatzt  und  genossen  werden  konnen  als  ein 
seltenes  Specimen  philologischer  und  asthetischer  Durchbildung.'— 
Deutsche  Literaturzeitung. 

'The  English  reading  public  is  in  a  position,  thanks  to  her  accom- 
plished hand,  to  study  these  ancient  testimonies  to  the  power 
of  Buddhist  doctrine  in  a  complete  and  satisfactory  form.  ...  It 
has  long  been  recognized,  in  the  study  of  Sanskrit  literature,  that 
it  is  vain  to  attempt  to  dispense  with  the  help  of  native  light,  and 
to  interpret  texts  solely  by  means  of  grammar  and  lexicon.  No 
doubt  much  may  be  explained  without  the  vernacular  commentators, 
and  the  student  must  always  exercise  his  critical  faculty  in  using 
them,  but,  with  all  reserves  made,  these  commentators  do  stand 
closer  to  their  texts  than  occidentals  can  stand,  and  point  out  many 
things  that,  without  their  help,  would  be  overlooked  or  only  half 
understood.  "  Chaque  pays  a  sa  pensee  "  says  the  French  poet,  and 
the  greater  German  poet  bids  us  go  to  the  poet's  country  if  we  would 
understand  the  poet's  word.  Of  all  this  Mrs.  Rhys  Davids  has  been 
duly  mindful,  and  her  version  has  gained  much  in  point  of  trust- 
worthiness on  this  account.  But  the  flow  and  spontaneity  of  the 
verse  has  by  no  means  suffered  through  this  accuracy  and  rigid 
adherence  to  the  tradition.  The  metrical  form  moves  lightly  withal, 
and  this  freedom  of  movement  is  a  witness  to  the  sympathy  of  the 
translator  with  the  thoughts  of  the  ancient  Therls.— The  Buddhist 
Review. 


2.  Compendium  of  Philosophy,  being  a  translation  of 
the  Abhidhammatt/ia-sahyaha.  By  Shwe  Zan  Aung,  B.A., 
revised  and  edited  by  Mrs.  Rhys  Davids.  Price  5*.  net. 

'The  translation  now  before  us  is,  in  the  best  and  fullest  sense 
of  the  words,  the  result  of  Eastern  and  Western  effort  combined. 
The  most  intrinsically  interesting  part  of  the  book,  the  Appendix 
(pp.  220-85),  which  contains  Mr.  Aung's  extensive  notes  on  some 
of  the  most  important  technical  terms  of  Buddhist  philosophy,  will 
be  found  extremely  useful  by  all  students  of  Buddhism.  More 
especially  I  would  point  out  the  very  lucid  and  highly  instructive 
discussions  on  the  vexed  question  of  the  Paticcasamuppada  and  on  the 
true  meaning  of  the  term  Samkhara.  Three  useful  indexes  add  to 
the  usefulness  of  the  volume,  for  which  both  the  English  editor  and 
the  Burmese  author  deserve  our  best  thanks,  and  on  the  publication 
of  which  the  Pali  Text  Society  is  to  be  heartily  congratulated.' — 
Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society. 

'Ein  entscheidender  Grund  fur  die  Unzulanglichkeit  unserer 
bezuglichen  Kenntnisse  ist  aber  wohl  darin  zu  suchen,  dass  die  Gedan- 
kenkreise,  in  denen  die  buddhistische  Weltanschauung  sich  bewegt,  so 
wenig  mit  okzidentalischen  Begriffen  in  Einklang  zu  bringen  sind, 
dass  eine  wesentliche  Forderung  in  der  angedeuteten  Richtung 
vielleicht  nur  dann  zu  erhoffen  ist,  wenn  es  gelingen  sollte,  die 
berufenen  Vertreter  der  buddhistischen  Gelehrsamkeit  in  den  in 
Frage  kommenden  Landern — vor  allem  Japan,  Birma,  Ceylon — fur 
die  Ubersetzung  und  Bearbeitung  der  massgebenden  Werke  zu 
interessieren.  Dass  eine  derartige  Teilnahme  an  der  wissenschaft- 
lichen  Erforschung  des  Buddhismus,  namentlich  soweit  dessen 
jiingere  Entwicklungszustande  in  Betracht  kommen,  nur  von  dem 
vorteilhaftesten  Einfluss  sein  konnte,  wird  vor  allem  auch  durch  die 
hier  vorliegende  Ubersetzung  eines  der  wichtigsten  neu-buddhisti- 
schen  Texte  der  "siidlichen"  Schule,  der  "Zusammenfassung  des 
Sinnes  des  Abhidhamma",  durch  den  Birmesen  Shwe  Zan  Aung 
nahegelegt.  Der  Name  des  Mitherausgebers,  Mrs.  Rhys  Davids, 
bietet  fur  die  Zuverlassigkeit  der  Ubersetzung  sowohl  wie  fur  die 
in  Anhangen  und  Bemerkungen  gebotene  Bearbeitung  der  verschie- 
denartigen  Probleme,  vor  allem  auch  philosophiegeschichtlichen 
Inhalts,  die  beste  Gewahr.' — Deutsche  Literaturzeitung. 

'  Here,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  modern  research  into 
the  ancient  Buddhist  lore,  we  have  a  work  produced  by  a  Buddhist 
scholar,  working  in  a  Buddhist  land  with  all  the  immense  advantage 
which  a  life-long  training,  the  actual  religion,  and  free  access  to  the 
living  tradition  of  the  monasteries  confer;  himself  also  a  deep 
student  of  the  western  philosophical  systems;  and  his  work  is 


rendered,  if  possible,  of  still  greater  value,  by  the  revision  and 
collaboration  of  one  who  may  justly  be  admitted  to  be  the  foremost 
living  occidental  authority  on  the  subject.  .  .  .  The  editor  has,  with 
characteristic  acumen  and  appreciation  of  their  high  value,  con- 
siderably augmented  the  usefulness  of  the  work  before  us  by  the 
inclusion,  in  an  appendix  of  some  60  pp.,  of  a  number  of  notes 
written  by  the  author  in  the  course  of  the  correspondence  which 
the  work  involved.  Here,  once  more,  we  have  Buddhist  psychology 
as  the  born  and  instructed  Buddhist  student  sees  it,  and  many  an 
occidental  Buddhist  student  will  find  in  these  important  notes  much 
matter  for  deep  study  as  well  as  great  enlightenment.' — The  Rangoon 
Gazette. 


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